


Unperfectly Us

by RedHoodsDoll



Series: Becoming Us [1]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrinette, Eventual Smut, F/M, High School, LadyNoir - Freeform, Marichat, No Ladrien, Post-High School, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-05
Updated: 2018-11-19
Packaged: 2019-07-24 23:13:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 28
Words: 104,352
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16185200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedHoodsDoll/pseuds/RedHoodsDoll
Summary: How does Chat Noir continuously end up on Marinette Dupain-Chengs's balcony? That is the question that Adrien Agreste has been asking himself all day after a night of crime fighting on his own. He had expected Ladybug to show up, but instead he got Marinette helping him out by tripping a criminal who was fleeing the scene of a robbery. So just how had he ended up on her balcony? And when he had gotten there, why had he not just bid her farewell? He couldn't believe that last night had actually happened, and when Marinette walked into the class with Alya whispering to her quickly, he knew that it had indeed happened and Alya definitely knew now.Chat Noir has a tendency to fall in love with powerful women, what he doesn't know, is that he has the tendency to fall in love with the same woman in different ways.





	1. Once Upon A Time, A Citizen Did Chat Noir's Job

Marinette knew she was going to be late for their patrol. She had made the mistake of telling Chat 9:00, but she had forgotten she was supposed to be at the library with Alya working on a project until 9:00 exactly. There was still people in the streets of Paris, so she couldn't transform and speed over to their meeting point. She was rushing between businesses and hoping that he wasn't mad at her. 

The police cars speeding past her with their lights on gave way to how mad Chat was going to be with her. She groaned as she dove into another alley. She was opening her purse so that Tikki could transform her, when someone else came running down the alley. She glanced up and noticed it was actually 2 people. She moved to the wall and kept watch on the one's running full force. They both wore masks, but one was more familiar to her than the other.  _Chat Noir..._ She put 2 and 2 together and threw her leg out across the path of the man that her partner was pursuing. He went down hard and grunted as he hit the ground. Her partner flew through the air and landed on the criminal's back.

"Why thank you, Princess. I was hoping My Lady would be here in time to help, but looks like I got my other favorite girl," Chat winked at her as he secured cuffs to the other man's wrists. A few police officers ran down the alley and took the man from there, grumbling about how a little girl caught the man.

"You're welcome, Chat. I'm sure she meant to be here, she's probably busy with the end of the school year now." Marinette shrugged. She was kicking herself, how would she know if Ladybug was a school student or not? Chat was sure to recognize that.

"You're probably right, how about I give you a lift home? Seems a shame for such a beautiful woman to be walking around alone this late at night," Chat extended his arm to her. Marinette thought for a moment. She didn't see the harm in it, but something told her that she should be going on patrol, not letting her partner walk her home.

She tucked her dark bangs behind her ear and shrugged. "Sure, I don't see the harm in that." And the words were out of her mouth before she could stop herself.

"I swear to you that I will be a perfect gentleman," He wrapped his arm around her waist and brought her in close. She was so used to his proximity that she wasn't sure why her heart had suddenly sped up to twice its original speed. 

"I'm sure you will be." She whispered. She hooked her arms around his neck and let him use his baton to shoot them up over the roofs of Paris. The view always stole her breath when she wasn't focused on swinging between the buildings. She watched their meet point melt into the background of the lights of the city, knowing that something was happening tonight. She felt that she should be going the opposite direction. Soon they were on her balcony.

"You can let go now, you won't fall," Chat said. She quickly let go of his neck, realizing that her feet were touching solid ground. 

"Oh, thank you. I could've walked home, I like to walk around at night, it's peaceful. Of course, not when there's criminals running around, but I guess he was more jogging,"

Adrien stared at the girl in front of him that seemed like she wouldn't stop talking. Last time she has seemed very cool about helping him out, but she seemed to be struggling to stop herself tonight. He began to wonder if this was some form of shock? He had just whisked her through the tops of homes and she had come face to face with a regular person making bad choices instead of an akuma. He reached out with his gloved hand and took her face into his hand before pressing his thumb to her lips, which quickly stopped her in her tracks.

"No need to thank me princess, anything for a woman as purrfect as you." He smiled one of his signature Chat Noir smiles and her eyes widened. She softly moved his thumb from her lips but didn't bother with his hand. 

"I'm far from perfect, chaton. I'm forgetful and I make plenty of mistakes. I was supposed to meet someone tonight so that I could help them out, and I ended up missing them altogether because of another promise I made. And to make matters worse I can't even tell them that I missed them and why. I mess up, a lot. I am a terrible human." She frowned, not realizing she was still holding onto his hand that was still pressed to her face.

Adrien watched her closely, "Sounds like you're unperfectly human to me. Those are the best one's though. I should know. I have to cancel a lot of plans I make and my friends think it's just because I have family stuff, but really my family thinks that it's because of my friends, but it's because I'm out saving the world. I miss a lot of school and events and it makes life pretty interesting, but at the same time. I don't know, I think unperfect humans are the best ones." He noticed a tear that dripped down Marinette's pale face and leave a trail in its tracks. "Marinette?"

"You make it sound beautiful. Unperfect human, not terrible, not trashy, not uncaring or even forgetful. Just unperfect. I really like that Chat." Marinette didn't know what came over her, she threw her arms around her partners neck. She held him in a tight hug and let herself cry into his shoulder. It didn't take long for him to wrap his arms around her. He traced circles into her back and quietly spoke words of encouragement into her ear. She didn't know how long they stood there, but she knew she had to have cried for at least an hour.

"Do me a favor, jump." He said. She didn't even question it. She felt his hands move to catch her, and she quickly jumped. He caught the bottom of her thighs and wrapped her legs around his back. He sat down on one of her lounge chairs and continued to hold her and she stopped crying. 

"I'm sorry, Chat." She whispered into his neck. She felt him shudder.

"It's okay, Princess. We all have cry days. I'm glad I could help you with yours." He brought one of his hands up and smoothed out her hair. Chat wasn't even thinking of the fact that he could be holding up his meeting with Ladybug or that another crime could be in progress. All that he could think about was that his friend from school was sad. And that even when she was crying, she looked very pretty.

Marinette was his bestfriend's girlfriend's bestfriend. Because of that they had begun to hang out more and more often. Adrien had been more than impressed by her. She loved everyone, even cared for Chloe even though Chloe despised Marinette. She played video games, she designed fashion, and she was good at anything she tried her hand at. Marinette had impressed him. Even if it seemed like she struggled to get words out when they spoke, she had even impressed him with her will and courage when he had seen her as Chat Noir. And even now, seeing her cry, he knew that she was even stronger than he had originally thought.

And that brought him an entirely different thought path as she pulled away from him and looked into his eyes. The woman in front of him was very real. He saw and spoke to her everyday and had known her since he had first started school 4 years ago. They were finishing up their last year of high school. Even if she did go into fashion, who was to say that they would ever end up seeing each other again. And the sudden panic of never knowing what it would feel like to have her lips pressed against his is what caused him to pull her face to his until they were millimeters from each other. He hesitated, she only had seen him a handful of times as Chat Noir, he didn't want to push her into something she wouldn't want.

Her hand that had been around him suddenly snaked up and she pressed it right behind his ear and guided him to her lips. The first kiss was soft and hesitant, an experiment. Something new to both of them. She pulled back for a moment, not far enough that he couldn't recapture her lips if he didn't want to. "Is this okay? I won't do that if..." He pulled her close into a searing kiss and didn't let go for a few minutes. When he finally did let her go, she pulled back almost gasping for breath.

Marinette had been surprised by how soft his lips had felt against hers. She had almost expected them to be rough since he gotten thrown around a lot during battles. She had expected to him to just kiss her, but he had left it up to her to decide. And when she had given him the opportunity to stop, he had pulled her closer with a hunger that she hadn't seen in him before. "Wow," his green eyes were zeroed in on her. She felt a blush creep into her cheeks. "You may be unperfect Marinette, but your kisses are not." 

"I'm glad you think so," She took a deep breath, "especially-since-that-was-my-first-kiss." She quickly hid her face in his neck as the situation dawned on her. She was supposed to be suited up and on patrol with Chat, instead here she was sitting on his lap, on her roof, in her civilian form and kissing him. Even without the suit she had enough courage to kiss Chat Noir. For a moment the wish of having that kind of courage to talk to Adrien flashed across her mind, and suddenly she felt too hot. Chat Noir may know Ladybug, but he did not know Marinette.

"Did you say that was your first kiss?" Chat asked as panic began to set into Marinette. Realizing she had just kissed her partner who hardly knew her civilian self, the world almost seemed to be at an angle.

"Uh, yeah, it was," She spoke quickly as she rubbed the back of her neck, knowing she had just taken a step. "It's okay, if you regret it, that's fine, I think I'm going to head to bed now."

"Wait! Where are you going?" He reached out to touch her face, but let his hand fall as she flinched away.

"I, you don't really know me Chat, you probably just kissed me because I was sad," she frowned.

"No, I kissed you," Adrien took a deep breath, "because I knew that if I didn't right now, I wouldn't know what it would feel like. Because who knows if I'd ever see you again and I think you're pretty amazing Marinette."

"You, you do?" She stuttered, surprised that such praise had come out of his mouth.

"Give this cat a chance, and I'll prove to you how amazing I think you are," He winked at her and the flush creeped from her cheeks into her neck. 

"Chat, you don't even know me though," The words fell out of her mouth faster than she could shut it. His face fell slightly, before he smiled again. He leaned in close and soon all she could see clearly was his green eyes.

"Are you sure about that Princess? You don't even know me without the mask. How do you know I'm not secretly one of your best friends?" And soon they were both laughing. Adrien was pulled into Marinette's laughter, feeling relieved that she didn't immediately recognize him. 

"Alright kitty, I'll let you think that your words are actually doing something for me, if you can tell me this, what is my favorite color?" She smirked, knowing that he had been in her room before, that if he thought for a moment, he could figure it out.

"Pink, but I'm pretty sure your next favorite is black." He stated with confidence.

"Why do you think that?" She asked, unsure where he had gotten that idea.

"Because you haven't been able to keep your hands off of me." And this time he had blush tint his cheeks as he spoke. She laughed it off though, knowing that he was right. She couldn't even be sure what had come over herself, but something about he told her she wasn't a screw up had made her feel better. And the way he had held her as she cried had her feeling safe.

"Alright, you win, you're too handsome for me to stay away, whatever shall I do?" She giggled as she feigned how enamored she was with him. She stood up and held out her hand to help Chat to his feet.

"Are you inviting me inside?" His eyes lit up with mischief as she rolled her eyes.

"No, I'm helping you up so that you aren't still sitting there when I go inside to go to sleep. I believe that you should probably head to your Cat Cave or whatever to get some rest as well." She said as she scrunched up her nose.

"Cat Cave, purr-lease. I may be cool, but I still live in a humble home too, Princess. But alas, I shall let you sleep." He leaned in and kissed her cheek before straightening and giving her a small salute. "Stay safe Marinette, I'll be back again soon to prove that I think you are amazing."

"I'll believe it when I see it," She said as he walked up to the edge of the balcony. There was a glint in his eye as he jumped backwards before he vaulted himself over the roof across from hers.

She sighed as she watched his shadow disappear in the moonlight. Realization dawned on her, and she hurriedly unclasped her bag, "Tikki!" She hissed.

"I heard everything Marinette." The red and black kwami said as she floated up into Marinette's line of sight. The large indigo eyes searched her chosen's for her true emotions.

"What am I going to do? I don't like Chat, I like Adrien!" She exclaimed. The panic came back in full force and her cheek burned with her partner's farewell kiss that she hadn't pulled away from. So many times before as Ladybug, she had yanked away her hand or swung away from his reach, but tonight she had brought her fate on herself. 4 years of dodging and suddenly tonight she was the one to kiss him first. All those years ago, she had kissed him when he was controlled by Dark Cupid, but that hadn't counted.

"Marinette, would you have kissed Chat Noir if you didn't like him?" Tikki questioned her. Of all the emotions that Marinette was feeling, neither regret nor guilt were one of them.

"I guess not, but he was right there and I have wanted my first kiss for years, so maybe, I don't know. I don't think so. Maybe it was just easier to kiss Chat because I know him so well!" She pulled at her pigtails and her mind trailed back to his hand running across her hair in an attempt to soothe her in her tears.

"Marinette," Tikki stated. "Did you play with Chat Noir's feelings?"

"No!" She defended instantly. Tikki beamed at her. "Oh."

"There's your answer. You care about Chat Noir, maybe differently than how you care about Adrien, but you wouldn't have done that if you didn't care for him." Tikki flew over to the trap door. "Now maybe we should go inside? That way your parents won't notice you're gone?"

"Oh no!" She squeaked before diving through the trap door and onto her bed. "Tikki, I want to call Alya, but what do I tell her?" Tikki tapped her head for a moment before shrugging.

"Marinette, tell Alya whatever you trust that you can tell her. Just be careful about your secret identity." Tikki landed on the pillow that Marinette had made for her that sat at the front of the headboard.

Marinette quickly changed into her pajamas before she sat at her desk and unlocked her phone. Her thumb hovered. She wasn't sure what she would tell her best friend, or what Alya would think, even if she was awake enough to understand what Marinette was going to tell her. She quickly hit video call, and it was almost instantly picked up.

"Hey girl! I was hoping you'd call me after saving Chat Noir and the police the embarrassment of that robber getting away!" Alya said with a smile clear as day on her face. She was obviously out walking in the streets still, but had her headphones in so Marinette knew no one else would hear the call.

"Yeah, I guess that was pretty cool, but I tripped, so they tripped, so I'm just glad no news outlets caught it." She set her phone up so that it would stand on its own as she rested her arms against the cool top of her desk.

"Pretty cool? Woman, anyone else would have killed to have had that opportunity? And then for Chat Noir to take you away from the scene? Juicy!" Alya pumped her fist in the air.

"Oh, uh, how did you know about that?" Marinette bit her lip.

"Puhlease, you think I wasn't following him to get the scoop and more pictures for the Ladyblog? I'm just trying to figure out why Ladybug wasn't there to save the day. At least Marinette was. So did Chat Noir kiss the hand of the pretty lady that saved the day?" Alya wagged her eyebrows as she knew that it had happened once before to Marinette and to some other women.

"Uh, actually, he did kiss me, but just, not on the hand?" Marinette stumbled over her words and for a moment everything on Alya's screen stopped moving. Marinette picked up her phone and tapped on the screen. "Stupid phone froze."

"ARE YOU TELLING ME THAT CHAT NOIR, THE CAT OF LEATHER HIMSELF, STOLE YOUR FIRST KISS?!" Alya screamed through the call. Marinette dropped her phone and it clattered on her desk.

She peered over the edge so that she could see Alya running. "Yes?"

"O. M. G. Girl! You got to give me all the details! Everything! How soft were his lips? Did he taste like cinnamon? It's such a sassy flavor that I think that's what he has to taste like! Was it a short kiss, a long one? Was there tongue!?" She was calling things out and Marinette was sure that she was going to get the police called on her for screaming things this late out on the streets.

"Alya, Alya! Where are you going?"

"Home, duh! I want to go bed so that tomorrow comes faster so that you can tell me everything? Is he as kinky as the amount of leather he wears suggests?"

"No, it was kind of gentle at first."

"At first! You kissed him more than once?" Alya called out, showing up in a doorway now, meaning she was probably back at her apartments.

"Yeah, it was a few times. And his lips were soft, I think he tasted more like spearmint. And there was no tongue, but he promised to make me know that he thought I was amazing." Marinette smiled softly and touched her cheek, remembering how sweet the notion had seemed before her original panic had made it burn.

"Ah-maze-ing! I am so proud of you girl, it seems you are finally over that crush on Adrien!" Alya walked up the stairs. "From one celebrity to another! I can't believe, oh no Mari, you definitely aren't over him, are you?" Alya asked as Marinette's face fell.

"I wasn't even thinking of him when I let that cat kiss me! I don't think I'm over Adrien, Alya! But I definitely like Chat! UGH! What do I do?" Marinette dropped her head into her arms.

"Well you already kissed Chat Noir, besides Adrien doesn't really see you that way, at least not that Nino has told me. But I haven't exactly asked him." Alya babbled as she put her key into her door. "But I don't know girl, I think you should wait and see if the kitten shows up again this week, if he doesn't; cut your losses. If he does show up, see where things go. Maybe he'll even give you a sneak peek under the suit." Alya winked at her.

"Alya!"

"Just kidding! But maybe you'll get to see him under the mask! We'll talk more tomorrow! Later girl." Alya waved her signature peace sign before hitting the end button. Marinette slammed her head against her desk a few times before she climbed into her bed. 

"Goodnight Tikki," She said as Tikki switched off the light.

"Goodnight Marinette," Tikki kissed her forehead before landing back on her pillow. 

The next thing Marinette knew was that her phone was going off. It felt like she hadn't even closed her eyes and yet here she was, wide awake and having to get ready for class. She rolled out of bed and threw on a set of clothes before snatching her backpack. She made her way down to the bakery where she took the bag her mom had prepared for her and Alya to eat on their way to school. "Thank you Maman." She said as she gave both of her parents a kiss on the cheek before she left the bakery and walked almost straight into Alya.

"I have been waiting 3 minutes! Do you know how long that felt? It felt like 3 years!" Alya shouted as she snatched the pastry bag and yanked a croissant out.

"I moved as fast as I could this morning! I'm on actually on time today, you can't be too mad at me." Marinette rolled her eyes. All she could think about was her test that she was going to have in science today. She hadn't had much time to study and she knew that it wasn't her best subject. She knew the formula, but it was a matter of using it correctly.

"Earth to Marinette! Are we going to talk about the elephant in the room?" Alya said shaking her friend's arm.

"Elephant?" Marinette said, not having the faintest clue what Alya was talking about. She was too busy trying to remember if she had her notebook in her bag or not.

"A certain black cat that you decided to lock lips with?"

"A black ca.. OH!" She exclaimed suddenly understanding what her best friend was implying as the memories of last night flooded her brain. 

***

Adrien was early and already at his desk. Nino had plopped down next to him and asked if he was feeling well. "Oh yeah, I just didn't get much sleep last night."

"According to Alya, none of us did. She said 'Nette had some kind of run in with Chat Noir last night, and Alya didn't get any of it on film. So of course she called me and kept me up for most of the night trying to guess where Ladybug had been. Why didn't you sleep?" Nino rubbed his eyes as he spoke, making an emphasis on how exhausted he was.

"I had to study for the science test." Adrien shrugged off the question. His eyes were trained on the door as more students began to pour into the room as the clock ticked closer to the start of the day.

"You never study." Nino pushed a finger into his shoulder and Adrien shied away from the touch. Truth was, he still wasn't sure how he had gotten into that situation. Sure he had wanted to know what it was like to kiss Marinette, but now that he had kissed her as Chat, there was no way he'd be able to kiss her as Adrien without revealing his identity.

"Science wasn't ever my easy subject." That was a lie if he had ever told one. School was easy for Adrien, partially because he enjoyed it so much.

"Sure dude, are you sure you weren't out with Alya looking for a man in a skintight leather suit?" Nino rolled his eyes.

"Positive, I was locked in at the house anyways." And like that, he knew Nino would back off. He always felt bad if his dad got brought up.

"Gotcha, hey look, 'Nette and Alya look just as tired as you."  Nino gave a quick wave as the girls walked in.

Adrien disagreed, Alya did look tired, but Marinette looked very awake and aware. They were huddled close and speaking quickly in hushed tones. Alya managed to raise her hand towards them,  but Marinette's eyes darted around the room before landing on Adrien. He almost looked away, but instead he waved at her. He watched as a flash of panic crossed her face and she halfheartedly returned the wave with a smile. As the girls sat behind them, both of the boys turned around.

"You guys okay?" Nino asked. "You look like you're going to be sick Marinette." 

He was right, Marinette felt like she was going to be sick. She was trembling and her hands were clammy as her stomach turned. "I'll be alright, just had a weird night." She whispered.

Instantly Adrien was concerned. He placed his hand on top of Marinette's and said, "Hey, it's alright." She froze and stared at him before nodding.

"I'll be alright, just have a lot going on." She was staring him down and he was oddly aware of how there was a flash of recognition before she shook her head. He pulled his hand away as Mlle Bustier began class.

Marinette felt even more conflicted now. Last night Chat Noir had vowed to prove that he thought she was amazing, and yet here she was now feeling like her 4 year long crush was actually flirting back with her. Her brain was fuzzy as she pulled out a pen and notebook to take notes through the first class of the day. 


	2. Secrets, Secrets, Secrets

Marinette felt more torn as the day progressed. Adrien seemed to want to speak to her more than he ever had before. Then when the science test had come up, they were forced into new partners. She had always worked well with Max, but her teacher suddenly decided new partners and she got paired with Adrien. Yesterday, she would have jumped for joy, but today it just made her panic even worse. Their hands had bumped together several times when trying to get everything for their experiment ready. Finally she had just let him do all of the experiment while she wrote down all of their findings.

She let out a sigh of relief as she heard the final bell of the day ring. At least it was Friday, even though that meant there was a larger chance for an akuma attack, it also meant she could have the whole weekend to think through her dilemma. Alya linked arms with her as they met in the courtyard. "You're looking less pale, feeling better?" Her friend asked as she squeezed her arm tight.

"I think so, it's just so complicated, Alya. Like, there's no easy answer here. I like them both, and it's not fair of me to like them both, is it?" Marinette frowned at her friend.

"Hey, just got to go with your heart on things like this. What is it telling you?" Alya dragged Marinette on their usual route back towards the bakery.

"I think it's just saying I'm on my own with this one. I like them both Alya, BOTH!" She threw her arms in the air before slumping forward in minor defeat.

"Well," She started before she stopped walking.

"Well?" Marinette stopped and turned back towards her friend. That was when she noticed the two boys that were walking up to them quickly. "Alya, what did you do?"

"I thought a good old night of movies and ice cream was in order." Alya shrugged and giving Marinette a knowing look.

"And so you already texted Maman, didn't you?" Marinette pressed her thumb and forefinger to the bridge of her nose. Alya was well known for trying to make problems vanish by forcing them to be worked out.

"Of course. Besides, Nino agreed that Adrien needed a night with friends, so we're going to your house tonight." The look her friend wore was so smug that Marinette debated how likely an akuma could attack right now and fix her problems.

"My room is a mess," She started.

"Exactly, we'll set up a projector on your balcony and watch movies up there!" Alya exclaimed. All Marinette could hear going through her head was that this was the worst idea ever.

"And what about the fact that we have to walk through my room? Oh GOD! I have so many pictures of Adrien up in my room!" Marinette grabbed Alya's shoulders and Alya just laughed before pushing Marinette back.

"Girl, where do you think I disappeared to during lunch? I have been planning this since we talked this morning. Don't worry about a thing, everything is set up and ready to go." Alya patted her shoulder. "Besides, you were so worried about who you liked more, so I figured if Chat Noir could get a night of your time, maybe Adrien Agreste was owed a night as well."

"Hey ladies!" Nino shouted as soon as he was within a small enough distance. He and Adrien closed the space quickly. Alya and Nino exchanged a kiss before putting their arms around each other. "Everyone ready for movie night?"

"As long as there's no chick flicks involved." Adrien and Marinette said at the same time. They both looked at each other, quirked a smile, and glanced away with blush filling their faces.

"Alright, no problem for me." Alya rolled her eyes. "But come on, let's go!"

Soon enough they were all walking through the doors of the bakery. Sabine and Tom were both busy with customers, so they quickly ushered the teens up the stairwell. They stopped in the kitchen to pop some popcorn before ending up on Marinette's roof. Adrien seemed to glance around before landing on the lounge chair that Marinette had sat on with Chat the night before. Nino spent a moment setting up the projector before starting the movie. "Nino, what the hell." Marinette stated, looking perplexed at his movie choice.

"You aren't telling me that you don't like the classics, 'Nette?" He smirked at her. She narrowed her eyes on him, almost positive that he knew exactly what had happened up here the night before.

"I gotta agree with Mari on this one, I mean, really. Why did you have to choose 50 Shades of Gray?" Adrien said rubbing the back of his neck.

"Well it's not a chick flick and it's a film that Alya has been bugging me to watch for awhile now. So I decided if she was going to embarrass me into watching it, I would force you two to feel my shame as well." Nino shrugged. Alya made the smart move of not turning to face Marinette, but if looks could kill, she was sure Alya would have dropped dead by now.

Marinette and Adrien both knew they really had no choice in the fact, so they kept there mouths shut and decided to instead just stare at the screen soundlessly. About 10 minutes into the movie, Marinette had figured out Alya's exact plan. If there was any chance that Adrien liked her, he might be persuaded to talk directly to her instead of watching the movie. She was cursing Alya a thousand times over as her heart beat soared. She knew her cheeks were burning red with the embarrassment of the movie, but when she turned around from her spot on the floor in front of Adrien and caught him watching her instead of the movie, she thought that her brain had fried from the heat her face was producing.

Adrien leaned forward and whispered in Marinette's ear, "Do you think they'd notice if we left? They seem pretty engrossed in it." Marinette giggled at the idea as her phone lit up in her lap.

"I'd say we're not allowed to," Marinette said holding up her phone for her friend to read. 

**From ALYA:** _You two stay put :)_

"How did she?" He asked as he stared at their friend with shock written all of his face until a particularly loud moan came from the movie and went back to looking at Marinette.

"She knows all, that's all you need to worry about." Marinette stifled another giggle as a second message came through saying to hush. She turned her attention back to the screen and screwed her face in minor discomfort as another nude scene appeared. She wasn't a prude, but sitting here with the guy she liked and two of her closest friends was definitely not her plan for how to start the weekend.

 Adrien thought for a moment as he looked down at the bluenette. He unfolded his hands and debated momentarily. This was the second night in a row that he was at Marinette's home, sitting on her balcony. But this time he was here as Adrien. He knew it wouldn't be kind to play with the girl's feelings, especially after he had swore to her the night before that he would prove to her that she was amazing. He just wasn't sure whether he wanted her to only like the cat side of him, or if he wanted her to like the human side of him as well. He threw caution to the wind and placed his hands underneath her arms before her lifted her up onto the chair as well.

She let out a quiet squeak as he set her down gently. "Sorry, you looked uncomfortable, and I figured you would refuse if I offered, so I just," He shrugged with a Chat Noir worthy smirk grin plastered on his face.

He watched as Marinette tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear. "Oh yeah, no problem. I don't mind," He noticed her eyes look down to her hands and then back up to the sky. 

"You seem like you've had a lot more on your mind today. Anything you want to talk about?" He asked. Adrien felt like he had a pretty good idea what she had on her mind, but he wanted to know if she trusted him enough to tell her. He didn't know what he would say either way, but he did know that he really wanted to lean in and seal the night with another kiss.

"I, well, you see, I like someone. Two someones actually. And I know that one likes me, but I don't know how well he knows me. And I know the other one very well, like for years, well, I've technically known both of them for years. But anyways, the other I've liked for a really long time, and then last night happened, and now I'm left wondering who I like more, and my heart doesn't know how to say anything besides... Did Alya already tell you this?" The way she was giving him a side eye, he decided that he must be smiling too much for her liking.

"No! I swear!" He quietly protested, throwing his hands up. Alya had not told him anything, but he believed he already knew at least part of what was causing her to act out of the ordinary today.

"Oh, it just seems like Nino probably already knows, so I assumed she had told you too." Marinette cast her blue eyes towards him again. 

"I promise, all I know is that it seems like you had a rough day and now I know that it seems to be due to some boy trouble?" Adrien offered, a small smile etched on his face. He glanced away from Marinette and watched both Nina and Alya whip their heads back towards the screen. He almost snorted, but he still wanted Marinette to talk to him and he knew that wouldn't happen if their friends were watching.

"I don't know if it was a rough day, per say, but it was a rough night of sleep. I couldn't turn my brain off. Stupid cat," she muttered the last part with a smirk of her own.

"What? Did a cat yowl outside your window all night or something?" Adrien said, trying to contain his excitement to himself.

"If I tell you, you can't tell anyone. I mean ever," She stared him down with such an intensity that he knew she would hold it against him if he ever did.

He extended his pinky, "I can promise that."

She took his finger with her own and sighed. "Last night, Chat Noir came and spoke with me."

"He did? I knew that you had helped him out with catching a robber according to Alya, but he stayed and talked with you afterwards?" Adrien asked.

"Yeah. He stayed and it made myself reconsider my perspective of, well, a lot. I just don't know how to feel about things anymore." Marinette shrugged. Adrien placed his hand onto her shoulder.

"Let me guess, you used to like a guy, but now that you took the time to speak to Chat Noir, you think you may like him too?" Marinette nodded to him. "Well, are you sure it's not just that you're star struck?"

"Pft, if I was star struck, then I'd have to disregard both of them." She snorted, before slapping a hand over her mouth. Marinette knew that Alya was covering up her own laughter, but she couldn't help it, sometimes the wrong words just came out of her mouth, especially when she was around Adrien.

"2 celebrities," Adrien tsked at her. "Definitely has to be a hard decision then. But if the other guy is famous and you have liked him for years, my guess is that you aren't star struck by Chat Noir, especially since you've seen him several times over the years." Adrien shrugged. He moved his hand across to her other shoulder and pulled her into him. He felt her stiffen slightly before relaxing. 

"Thanks, Adrien. It's not always easy to talk about those kinds of things, especially with you," She stopped herself as he gave her a calculated look. "I mean, we haven't been best friends for a long time, not like Alya and I. And so, it's not always easy for me to talk to you about that kind of stuff. Yeah."

"No problem, Mari. If you ever need someone to talk to, you can always talk to me. I usually am pretty quick to respond if my father doesn't have me drowning in my schedule." Adrien closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Even when he wasn't transformed, he could always pick up scents pretty well. Marinette smelled like fresh baked bread and cool autumn air. It was familiar to him, but he wrote it off as he saw her everyday at school and just hadn't really noticed her smell until today.

"I'll keep that in mind, but you can always talk to me too, okay? I'm usually pretty good at giving advice, even if I can't apply it to my own life." Marinette tentaviley leaned her head onto his shoulder, her body relaxing a little as she did it. Her stomach tossed once, but calmed down pretty quickly. It felt right to be tucked into his side like this. Adrien leaned his head on top of hers. Soon they found themselves leaning further across the lounge chair until Marinette was curled into Adrien. Before the movie had ended, all 4 of them had fallen fast asleep.

Alya was the first to wake. She found herself laying across Nino's lap. A blanket spread across her and one wrapped around her boyfriend's shoulders. She glanced over at their friends and gasped. She shook Nino awake and pressed a finger to his lips to keep him from protesting. He did not look pleased to be awake, until she turned his head so that he could see Adrien and Marinette. "Are they?" Nino gulped.

"Uh huh." Alya said softly. The pair were curled up on the same lounge chair. Marinette was laying across the front of it, with Adrien's arms wrapped tightly around her, holding her to his chest. A blanket had been carefully placed over them, but Adrien had obviously tried to kick it down and off of them.

"Should we wake them up?" Nino asked. Alya was about to tell him no, to let them sleep, but the city shook. The tremors were enough that both Adrien and Marinette opened their eyes and took in their surroundings. Adrien didn't seem to register that he was holding onto Marinette until she suddenly fell forward off the chair and took him with her. She laid on the ground staring up at him, her eyes wide with surprise. It took Adrien a moment to realize he was pining her to the ground, before he stood and helped her out.

"Sorry," He whispered to her, as he helped her up to her feet.

"You're okay. Sorry I yanked to the ground." Marinette said quickly as she smoothed out her clothes. Adrien leaned forward and smoothed her bangs for her. Alya swooned and Nino rolled his eyes.

"Did you guys feel that?" Nino asked.

"Feel wha-?" Marinette stopped as the ground shook again, this time knocking her into Adrien, and he had to hold her up so that she wouldn't fell back to the ground. "That is not a good sign."

"Let's get inside." Adrien said as he let go of Marinette and opened up the hatch to her room. Everyone shuffled inside as another tremor shook the place. Marinette and Adrien both looked like trapped animals now that they were in her room. Alya watched as both of them stuck their heads out the window, trying to get a glimpse of what was causing everything. Suddenly, everyone's phones went off at the same time, alerting them that the akuma watch program had begun. Alya grinned. 

"I gotta go guys! Ladybug and Chat Noir are sure to be on scene soon!" She waved at the pair and dragged Nino out of the room behind her. 

"Well, I need, to uh, make sure, ah! I need to make sure the bakery is locked up! Stay here, I'll be back soon!" Marinette bolted out of her room behind their friends and Adrien counted his blessings that he was alone. He went into Marinette's bathroom and locked the door behind him. Plagg flew out of his pocket.

"Such a romantic evening, and I had the peace and quiet I wanted to eat cheese, but now we have to go fight an akuma? Does Hawk Moth know what the word weekend means?" Plagg complained.

"No time for that, we gotta move fast. Plagg, claws out!" Adrien called out. Soon the black leather cat was slinking out of Marinette's bathroom window and was surprised to meet Ladybug only a rooftop away.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Now that I have my schedule figured out for the next couple weeks, I think I'll be attempting to update 2-3 times a week. Since I don't have the majority of the story outlined yet, I think that it will vary from day to day on which days get updates and which don't. Thanks for reading! I love each of your comments and kudos! Love, Em <3


	3. Danger? Pft, That's My Middle Name

"Well hello there, milady," Chat said as he landed next to his partner in red. She jumped and almost fell off the roof, until he reached out and snagged her wrist. "Something's got you spooked."

"Oh, Chat, no. I'm not spooked, you just surprised me. I didn't expect you to find me so quickly." Ladybug brushed him off and cast her gaze back over the city.

"I see. Correct me if I'm wrong milady, but isn't a surprise and a spook one and the same?" He asked with raised eyebrows. His partner seemed off kilter today. The same woman who had been prepared to face Hawk Moth face to face for so many years, and yet here she was, looking a little pale under the mask.

"You're wrong." She said.

Chat moved to argue, but Ladybug brought a finger to her lips and pointed with her other hand. Chat Noir focused in on the Eiffel Tower, and almost didn't see what was wrong. Until he realized the tower was almost a mile away from where it should be. "What in the world." He whispered.

As he watched, the tower seemed to bend before it flew into the sky and landed further away from where it had been, sending more tremors through the city. "Well, I say we follow it," He started before he realized Ladybug was halfway through zipping away from him. "Or I'll just follow Miss Danger is my middle name."

He rolled his eyes and started after her. He had no clue what had gotten into her in the last few days. Before, Ladybug was cool, calm, and collected and would talk to him before taking action. Chat wanted to know what exactly had changed between three days ago and tonight. They flew through the city and got close to the tower just as it took off again. He landed next his lady, and they investigated the scene. There were prints in the ground from the weight of the tower, but nothing else out of the ordinary.

"Let's land on it. Take the close back left leg, I'll take the far right leg. It bends at the middle, so stay closer to the ground." Ladybug instructed before she took flight again. Chat let out an annoyed breath before he followed her plan. He was going to have to speak with her after this fight. Obviously something was bugging her and she was letting it get in the way of their work.

He shot himself up onto the leg and landed about halfway down it. He watched Ladybug land on the other side. She climbed inside the leg so that she wasn't as visible. Chat followed her lead and cloaked himself in the metal. The tower took off again and he watched in amazement as it landed near the Louvre. In front of the pyramid stood a brightly colored figure. "A perfect sculpture belongs in the most famous museum!" The figure cackled. Chat quickly found Ladybug's eyes and nodded to her. They dropped to the ground and took off after the rainbow colored akuma.

The akuma grinned at them as they approached. "Ah! The Ladybug and the Cat have found me already!"

"Wasn't hard when you're loud enough to wake all of Paris!" Ladybug shouted as she moved to lasso the akuma with her yo-yo.  The akuma side stepped her and focused his weapon on Ladybug instead of the tower.

"Naughty bug!" He pulled the trigger and Chat Noir smashed his baton into Ladybug's side, throwing her to the ground. The beam from the akuma's weapon hit the wall behind her and shrunk it down to the size of a dollhouse.

"Oh you've got to be kitten me. You can summon buildings and shrink them?" Chat groaned, focusing back onto the akuma.

"I can summon all inanimate objects, you stupid cat. Chat felt his baton yank from his grasp. He watched it fly into the akuma's hand. "Now let's shrink this problem down to an easier to handle size."

Chat jumped out of the way of multiple beams and ran back behind the Louvre pyramid. He watched as it shrunk down to a model size version, before it landed in the akuma's hand. "I am the Decorator! I will be unstoppable forever! All homes will be decorated to my exact taste!" He yelled before pocketing the Louvre pyramid.

"Seriously? You're a decorator? What did someone not agree with your personal taste? Ridiculous!" Ladybug seemed unnecessarily upset with the situation as she snatched the Decorator's weapon with her yo-yo. She grasped it and snapped it in half. Only no akuma flew out of it. "What!" She shouted as the broken ruler pieces fell to the ground.

"AH HA! You did not see that coming, did you Ladybug?" The Decorator shouted as he unrolled a piece of paper from inside his rainbow robes. He pointed it at Ladybug and waved it once. Her yo-yo flew from her grip and into his grasp. "You may have taken my ability to shrink, but did not take my ability to move things as I want them!"

Chat ran up behind the akuma and grabbed his baton from the pile of things that the Decorator had decided to hoard. He hit the man behind the knees and brought him to the ground. He snatched Ladybug's yo-yo and threw it back to her. "I think we could use some luck right now, milady!" 

Ladybug nodded to him and threw for her lucky charm. The sharp burst of pink took the Decorator's attention and Chat swung at him. The Decorator rolled out of the way and clutched the paper in his hand tightly. "Give me your miraculous!" He pointed the paper at Chat and the next thing he knew was that the ring was tugging at his finger. He grabbed at it and held it tight. 

"Hey! That's not fair!" Chat Noir's shout pulled Ladybug's attention away from the shredder. It was a pretty obvious charm, get the paper and shred it. She stared in shock as Chat was dragged across the ground, gripping his ring with all his might. The Decorator was cackeling with a purple butterfly outlining his face.

"Hawk Moth..." Ladybug whispered. She dashed forward and closed the distance between herself and her partner. Her vision went gray, instead of the paper turning polka dotted, the Decorator's robes blinked red and black. She glanced back at Chat and his ring turned to polka dots as well. She looked around and noticed that there was no else near them. "Chat!" 

He glanced over at his partner. She was running towards them holding a shredder. "You need to let go!" His heart stopped for a moment. He knew that she had to have a plan, but they were out in the open. If he let go of the ring for too long, he would drop his transformation entirely.

"Now!" She shouted. Without a second thought, he let go and the ring popped straight off his finger. Suddenly he could feel his suit slowly fading off him, his mask disappearing.

Lady bug felt like she had to turn and stare at her partner, but instead she focused on the akuma. She turned on the shredder and thrust it on the robes. The Decorator dropped his attention form Chat Noir's ring, which bounced to the ground, and back onto the fact that his rainbow attire was currently being shredded to bit. "NO!" He screamed.

Ladybug reached out and snagged an edge of the paper. She held tight and let it rip. From the paper sprouted the dark colored butterfly. She stepped back and spun her yo-yo, before flinging it out. "Time to de-evilise!" She called out and captured the butterfly. Bring her yo-yo back to her, she released it and smiled as the pure butterfly flew away. She snatched up the shredder and threw it into the air, "Miraculous Ladybug!"

The Eiffel Tower popped up back where it belonged, and the Louvre pyramid reappeared, full size. Ladybug turned and watch Chat place the ring back on his finger. His suit was half gone, along with his mask. She was surprised to see his eyes were still green behind the mask, and he seemed almost more familiar to her than he had been before. His suit suddenly covered his entire body and she was left gawking at her partner and the akuma pipped up. "Huh? Where am I?"

She offered Chat her fist and he bumped it immediately. "Pound it." They both said more quietly than usual. Ladybug's earrings beeped, and she knew she had to disappear pretty quickly before everyone realized she was gone. "Gotta bug out."

She left at a dead sprint and Chat Noir knew there was no catching her so that they could talk. There was no time to talk any ways. He turned and found himself left staring at the previously akumatized victim. "You're at the Louvre, are you able to make it home from here?" Chat said as he squatted next to the middle age gentleman.

"Of course, did I hurt anyone?" He frowned.

"Not at all, you just tried to put the Eiffel Tower in the Louvre. Head home, sir." Chat smiled at the man.

"I think I'll head back to my design studio. Thank you, Chat Noir." The gentleman smiled and began his walk back towards a familiar destination.

That was when Adrien realized he was pretty far from Marinette's and she was bound to come upstairs at any moment. He ran full speed along the roofs until he landed back in her bathroom and de-transformed. He caught his breath before he unlocked the door and walked into the bedroom just as Marinette flew up the stairs. "Sorry that it took me so long, everything was left undone and so I figured I would go through all of the closing tasks and it just took forever."

"That's okay," Adrien smiled at the girl. Her cheeks were rosy and her one pigtails was almost coming out. She even had flour across her shirt. 

"Um, so, were you guys planning on, ya know, spending the night?" Marinette gave him a half smile.

"I don't know if we were planning on spending the night here, but I know that I was not planning on going back home to my house tonight. I don't know where Nino was planning for us to sleep." Adrien shrugged, he was internally begging that Marinette would decide that they should let them sleep here.

"I'll call Alya and see if she knows." Marinette said as she pulled her phone out of her bag. She reached onto her desk and picked up a cookie before dropping it into her bag. Adrien watched her with curiosity. He knew that girls could carry literally anything in their purses, but he had never seen someone put an unpackaged cookie into their bag and then close it.

"Hey Alya," Marinette spoke, but she sounded like she was cut off. "What? Oh?" She paused and bit her lip. She muttered something that Adrien couldn't hear before she turned bright red. "ALYA!" 

Adrien couldn't help but chuckle at her outcry. "Fine, yeah, see you soon." She groaned as she hung up and dropped her phone back on her desk.

"Something wrong, Mari?" Adrien asked.

"Nothing really. Just Alya doesn't know when to shut up." She said and she rubbed her eyes. Adrien watched as she reached up and pulled the ribbons from her hair and ran her fingers through her hair. Marinette turned and looked at Adrien before frowning. "Does it not look good down?"

"No!" He said quickly, "It looks great down, but I've never seen your hair down like that. I didn't realize how long your hair was." He reached out and brushed her hair with his fingers, freezing Marinette to the spot. His fingers brushed her shoulder and he took a step back. "Sorry, it's a model thing to be intrigued by pretty hair, I guess." 

"It's. It's all, yeah." Marinette spluttered.

"Um?" Adrien whispered biting his lip.

"It's okay, I didn't mind." Marinette finally spit out. She had gotten a lot better at speaking to Adrien over the years, but here she was sounding the same as she had 4 years ago when they had first met.

"May I?" Adrien asked this time, reaching out. She nodded. He took a step closer and ran his hand through her dark locks. Her hair was silky smooth and bumped out where she always tied her hair off. He reached the ends of her hair and let his fingers fall through. That's when he realized he had accidentally stepped closer again and that Marinette was standing directly in front of him. A deep red stained her cheeks. He could feel a brush creeping into his own cheeks as he realized their proximity. "Sorry."

"It's okay." She whispered, her breath tickling his neck. Over the years, they had both gained a little height, but stayed at a pretty close ratio as they had before. 

Adrien didn't want to step away, even though he knew he was probably hurting Chat's chances by standing so close to her right now. He had promised her that he would prove to her that he believed that she was amazing, but he wanted both sides of him to prove it to her. But right here, right now, he wanted nothing more than to kiss her. To his surprise, Marinette leaned in close and wrapped her arms around him. She pulled him into a tight hug, "Adrien, I'm so glad that you're my friend."

Her words stole the air from his lungs for a moment. He gently wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her hair. "Me too, Marinette." He squeezed her gently and let her go so that she could step back.

"Can I be honest with you?" She asked as she twirled her hair around her finger.

"Of course," His heart pounded in his chest. 

"I," She took a deep and closed her eyes. "I kissed Chat Noir last night."

He blinked as he stared at her. Of course he already knew that, but her words still caught him off guard. "Oh. That's why you were troubled earlier?" He offered.

"Yes, no. Kinda?" She lifted her arms in a shrug. "I was, I guess I was struggling because when I kissed Chat, I realized how much I liked him."

"Okay?" Adrien had no idea where she was going with this. But he felt like his heart was going to beat straight through his rib cage. He reached up and ran his hand through his hair.

"And, well, it made me reconsider how much I liked the other guy, but now I'm really not sure." She pulled her lower lip between her teeth and covered her face partially with one of her hands, while the other one reached out towards Adrien. He took her hand and ran his thumb across her knuckles.

"What can I do to help? Do I know this guy?" Adrien asked. Marinette coughed a couple times and shook her head.

"Um, no, I just, ugh." She dropped her head back. "Words, they should not be so hard."

"I thought you were getting better at using them?" Adrien asked, trying his hardest to not full on smile at her. He thought she was being cute even if she was frustrated.

"I am, just not, just not around you." She threw her free hand in his direction and he raised his eyebrows.

"Me? What did I do?" He asked surprised.

"Be you, I mean, just by being yourself." She took another deep breath and summoned all her courage before staring him down. "I like you."

"I like you too, Marinette. You're one of my best friends." Adrien said, not quite understanding what was going on.

"No, I  _like_ you." She emphasized.

"Yeah, wait, oh." His eyes widened as realization dawned on him.

"Uh huh." She stated.

"I'm the other guy." He looked at her in surprise. All this time he had been worried that the other guy would be some random guy celebrity that she didn't even know the real side of him, yet it was Adrien that she liked. And she knew the real him. 

"Yeah. And then today you paid a lot of attention to me and then the movie and now I'm just a little bit more frazzled. Back when we were just friends not best friends, you paid a normal amount of attention to me, and I think maybe I would have chose Chat, but now I'm not sure, and it's a big deal to me. And I don't want to hurt you or him, and I just don't know." Marinette sank to the floor and Adrien knelt down in front of her.

"Hey, Mari," He said taking her face in his hand. It felt different to hold her like this when he wasn't wearing his suit.

"Adrien?" She asked.

Adrien took a deep breath. Right here, right now he could end her confusion. He could call upon Plagg and make her understand everything. He could be both of her crushes in the same moment, but what would happen if someone found out that she was dating Chat Noir? Or if someone saw her dating Adrien and Chat? What if he transformed right now and then next minute later Alya and Nino walked up the stairway. And then the way that Ladybug had held him at arms length tonight. He understood her confusion, he was in a similar situation, but he knew that no matter what for Marinette, she would get both sides of him, and yet he still had to choose between Marinette and Ladybug. He was almost certain his choice had been formed.

"I like you too, but you need to make this decision for yourself." He gave her a soft smile and leaned in to kiss her cheek. That had been his original plan, but when Marinette closed his eyes and leaned towards him, he changed his path. He quickly kissed her forehead and pulled back. "And you need to be true to yourself in your decision."

She let out a breath that she hadn't even realized she had been holding. She would never admit that she had been hopeful that he would actually kiss her, but she knew deep inside that she had been. "Thank you, Adrien."

"Any time, now how about we get off the floor before Nino and Alya get back and ask a million questions." Adrien didn't even let her have the choice. With ease he lifted her off the ground and he pulled her into a hug.

She gave him a quick squeeze before letting him go. "Do you mind if I write while we wait for them? You can use my tv?" She offered him.

"Not at all. Fashion designer, artist, class representative, and writer? You never cease to surprise me." He smiled at her and sat down on her chaise, turning on her tv and flipping to the news footage from their fight. He froze as he realized how close he came to having revealed himself. 

Marinette sat next to him holding a pink and black polka bound notebook with a clasp on it. "I'm not a writer, more of a journalist. I like to write things down so that I can understand them better myself." She said as she put her pen to a new page and began writing things down.

"Impressive." Adrien said as he watched the screen with an intensity that Marinette hadn't seen on him before. She glanced to the screen and was surprised to see how clear their footage had been. Chat was half untransformed, and Ladybug ripped open the paper holding the akuma. Marinette gulped down her guilt. She had almost been too late in her plan to save her partner. It had all worked out, but she had almost failed him.

What if she did choose Chat? What would happen if she failed him as Ladybug and Marinette? She sighed and began to write words across the page, detailing what had happened that night and her feelings on things. Soon Adrien was leaning on Marinette's shoulder at an awkward angle. "Tired?" She whispered.

To her surprise there was no response. She glanced down and saw that he was sound asleep. She smiled and went back to writing, letting the exhausted boy sleep. 


	4. Why Are Decisions A Thing?

Adrien blinked open his eyes when he heard multiple voices whispering quickly. His first view was Nino and Alya, who looked like they were exhausted. He lifted his head and looked at Marinette who's shoulder he had been using as a pillow. She had closed her diary and turned off the tv, but she had sat next to him without moving the entire time so that he could sleep. His heart skipped a beat as she smiled at him. "Nice to see you're awake sleeping beauty." She teased him.

"Yeah, yeah. At least I got some sleep, which it looks like these two need it more than me now." He looked back at their friends. Alya's eyes betrayed her fatigue since she had them half shut. Nino had deep, purple circles resting below his eyes and he looked ready for a long night of sleep.

"I need a few years of sleep. We chased the tower across Paris, and then got the whole battle on film from the base of the tower. And did you see Chat Noir half out of his suit? I swear, he looked attractive before, but I guarantee the man underneath is just as good looking." Alya chattered on about the whole event as Adrien made eye contact with Nino who shrugged as if to say there was no stopping her.

"Well, I for one think it's a good thing that he was able to keep his identity. Poor boy wouldn't be used to his private life being invaded. He probably wouldn't know what to do with the media surveillance on his home." Marinette chimed in.

"It's not a fun thing, I wouldn't wish it anyone." Adrien agreed with Marinette, but unfortunately, he was already used to the media invasions. If somehow the media caught wind of him being Chat Noir, they would probably just increase the paparazzi, but they didn't really worry him anymore. He had learned how to slip around them by now,

She nodded and glanced away from him and back to Alya, who most definitely picked up on it. She smirked and before she could say anything to make the situation more awkward, Nino spoke up. "Maybe we should all get to bed. As long as 'Nette doesn't mind us crashing here?" 

"No, not at all. It's too late for you guys to be out on the streets anyways." Marinette shrugged. "We can either sleep outside or in here."

"I vote in here." Alya said sprawling across the chaise, across Marinette's and Adrien's laps.

"Uh huh." Marinette raised her brow at the girl. 

"What? Nino and I can crash here and you two can take the bed. And don't tell me you can't. You two had no problem snuggling up earlier." Alya wagged her finger in Marinette's face. Marinette looked ready to melt on the spot. A few days ago, she would have considered selling her soul for a chance to sleep in the same bed as Adrien, but now? She was already so confused about her feelings that she was sure this would only make the decision harder.

"She's right. If you're okay with it, I'm okay with it." Adrien said touching her knee. 

"It's okay. I won't mind." Marinette said as she focused on his hand that was touching her knee. She was not that surprised that he was touching her. After everything that had happened today, but it still was blowing her mind. In all reality, she had felt bad about how she had treated Chat. She just hadn't known how to act around him after everything that had happened in the last 24 hours. And he probably had no clue what to make of the fact that she had not treated him like how she had before.

"All right! Let's hit the sack! It's already 2 in the morning, my darlings." Alya said as she booted Marinette and Adrien from the chaise and dragged Nino down onto it. Marinette grabbed a blanket from a bin under her desk and handed it to the couple. 

"I'm going to change for bed. Feel free to raid my closet if you want pajamas." She aimed the statement towards Alya since she doubted that either of the boys would be able to find much in her closet. She snatched the clothes she had set out this morning and wandered into the bathroom. She was thankful she had grabbed a tank top and sweats to wear and not a pair of shorts or a ripped t-shirt.

She quickly changed and brushed out her hair. When she wandered into her room, she was surprised to see Adrien waiting next to the door. "Oh, sorry. I always pack an extra set of stuff to change into in my school bag on Fridays in case I end up at Nino's." he shrugged.

"It's okay, go ahead." Marinette said as she stepped past him and went towards Alya who was digging through her closet. She heard the door click shut as she softly kicked her friend in the butt.

"Hey." Alya scolded her as she whipped around.

"Really?" Marinette narrowed her eyes on her best friend.

"Well you guys haven't kissed yet, so how are you supposed to choose without a kiss?" Alya shrugged before she ripped off her flannel and threw on one of Marinette's Jagged Stone shirts. She grabbed a pair of leggings and quickly switched those on.

"Well, maybe I don't want to kiss him?" Marinette offered.

"So you've already choose Chat?"

"I mean, no." Marinette frowned.

"Girl, the cat ain't tying you down, you need to decide for yourself who is going to be best for you." Alya wagged her finger before walking past Marinette. "Besides, two nights ago and you would have begged me to set this up for you. Now go to bed."

"Fine, maman." Marinette teased her friend, before taking her advice and her up to her bed. She heard Adrien exit the bathroom and waved him up to her bed. He was wearing basketball shorts and a t-shirt. It was comforting to see him in something so normal. He climbed up and paused at the top.

"What side do you normally sleep on?" Adrien asked, standing in front of her bed. Marinette chuckled.

"Well, all of it. I usually sprawl out." She said, trying to contain her laughter at his surprised face. 

"I'll take this side and we'll see where we end up." He ran his hand through his hair, and suddenly it looked familiar to her in a way that wasn't very Adrien-like. Marinette couldn't put her finger on why the messy locks made her stomach flip, so she shook her head and laid down on the opposite side Adrien, the side closer to the edge of the bed.

She turned over and looked at him. She had technically been sleeping with him a few hours earlier, but now that they were in an actual bed she wasn't sure what to do. Whether he would want to sleep the same way as before or what. His green eyes were staring at her and so she took the initiative to reach out tentatively. Her fingers brushed his locks back into place, but now that she'd seen it messy, she wasn't sure what the difference was. 

Adrien choked down the purr that was building in his throat. He had found out that the longer he was Chat Noir, the more often he had cat like tendencies. He wondered if Ladybug ever had the same issue. But Marinette running her fingers through his hair was one of the best things he could have asked for in life and instantly wiped those thoughts from his brain. She was gentle with her movements, and she stopped too soon, but it was still nice while it lasted. He had messed up his hair, hoping that maybe she would recognize it, but it only seemed to confuse her more.

"I'm comfortable with however you'd like to sleep, Mari." His words pulled her out of her own head. She smiled at him and reached her arms out to him.

Adrien couldn't help the look of surprise that crossed his features, he figured that she would shy away at his openness. Instead she opened her arms to him. He pulled her close and she buried her face in his chest. Soon, the rate that her chest rose and fell slowed. Alya had switched off the lights and whispered goodnight to them. Adrien was alone with Marinette in his arms and a heavy weight on his chest. He knew that the decision was solely hers to make, and that he couldn't keep pulling her in both directions. He also knew that if it worked out, one day he would have to tell her that he was Chat Noir, or else his sudden disappearing act that he was famous for would probably push her away.

Marinette yawned and pressed her leg between his. She hooked it around his leg and nuzzled further into his chest. Adrien was surprised by the intimate gesture, but was more surprised when she spoke. "Relax,  _chaton_." His heart rate soared. She was asleep, of that he was sure, but he knew his ears weren't failing him. Even if she didn't know it awake, Marinette already knew both sides of him while asleep. He gulped and tried to calm down. He was sure that she wouldn't reveal his secret to the world unless she did so while sleep talking, but the thought that someone besides Master Fu knew made him realize that he could be putting her in danger by engaging with her like this.

He knew the choice was clear in his head. He had chased Ladybug for years, but nothing had ever happened. But here he was, having the chance to form something with Marinette, the girl that he knew he most definitely cared about, and yet now he was unsure. She had taken care of herself and others when going face to face with akumas, but if they began to target her (more than they already did) because of himself? Adrien wasn't sure he could ever forgive himself. He glanced down at his school bag, where he knew Plagg was supposed to be sleeping. His secret needed to stay a secret, but Adrien knew in his heart what he felt for Marinette was real, and he was certain he could make it work.

He pushed the blankets off of himself and more onto Marinette. He always ran a little warmer the most, especially when he slept. He didn't want to have Marinette wake and find both of them dying of heat stroke. He closed his eyes and dragged his fingers through her hair a few more times before he fell asleep too.

Adrien opened his eyes and when he looked up and saw the sky was still dark, he knew that it was still the middle of the night. He wasn't sure what had woken him this time, but he was praying that it wasn't another akuma attack. Especially when he realized that while they had slept, Marinette had rolled so that she laid on top of him, her ear pressed over his heart. His right arm was resting on her lower back and his left hand was tangled in her hair.

He gently pulled his arm to the side so that he could see the time. He was surprised that it had only been an hour and a half since he had fallen asleep. He never woke up during the night unless there was something wrong. And he never ever woke up after an akuma attack. He glanced over the side of the bed to see if he could spot a reason that he was awake. His bag was still zipped shut, but he thought he could see his phone lit up inside it. He assumed Plagg was bored and so he was watching Netflix on his phone, he was addicted to Breaking Bad. Another glance around the room told him everything was okay.

He shut his eyes again and let his head fall against the pillows. Unknowingly, he had jarred Marinette awake. "Adrien?" She whispered groggily. Her voice was lower than usual.

"Hey, what's wrong?" He said as he felt a cold spot on his shirt from what he assumed was a tear stain based on the tear tracks running down her cheek.

"Bad dream. Happens." She muttered as she sat up. At first, she was too asleep to realize this left her straddling his lap when she stretched, so that's why she didn't move as she moved. Adrien watched her raise her arms up above her head and noticed her tank top had rode up. He didn't even realized that he had reached out until his thumbs brushed against her bare stomach.

She jumped in surprise and glanced down at him. He quickly sat up. "What was your dream about?" He asked pulling his hands away and putting them behind himself in an attempt to make her less uncomfortable about how they were sitting.

"Dreamt that I couldn't save 'im this time." Her voice let on that she was still not fully awake, even if her eyes were slightly open.

"Who?" He asked. He had no clue what she was talking about. Saving someone? Who would Marinette Dupain-Cheng save on such a normal basis that she had bad dreams about not being able to save them in her dreams.

"Chat." She whispered.

"You dreamt you couldn't save him?" Adrien whispered. He remembered her being there to help him a few times, but he didn't think that she would dream about failing to save him on a regular basis.

"I couldn't catch him. I wasn't fast enough." She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Adrien's neck. "I'm always fast enough, but what if I'm not?"

"Don't worry, Princess. It will all work itself out. Ladybug always saves Chat Noir and he always saves her." Adrien tried to reassure her. He assumed that she must have dreams often about her adventures with Chat Noir, so of course she would have nightmares as well.

"Thank you," she leaned back so that she could properly see his face. The longer they stared at each other, the more awake Marinette looked. "I," She stopped herself. She turned her head away from him and took a few breaths. Adrien grabbed her chin and pulled her back to facing him once more.

"What, Mari?" He asked, his eyes shining in the dark. He could see her pretty well in the dark lighting. It was a trait that he appreciated a lot. Especially since he could stare without her entirely seeing him too.

"I wanna kiss you, but I don't wanna lead you on. I just wanna know if it's just a crush or something more." Her words caused his breathing to catch.

"Mari, you can kiss me, but you need to be awake if you do." She smirked at him.

"How can I prove that I'm awake?" She cocked her head at him and suddenly he saw a confidence in her that he only saw when she took control of the situation. He hadn't witnessed it too often, but it usually involved Chloe pissing her off, or an akuma attacking her friends.

"I," He was at a loss for words.

"You?" She asked. The way her lips pursed when she said it made Adrien swallow.

"Only you know if you're awake." He spit out.

"How about this? I've been head over heels for you since the day you handed me your umbrella? And that even in my dreams, we've never been laying on top of each other in my bed." Adrien really was at a loss for words now. She had confidence shining off of her and it was all he could to not grab her and kiss her.

"That works."

"Can I kiss you?" She asked, the confidence ebbing.

"Marinette, please kiss me." He whispered. He knew that it could make things worse for her, but given their current situation, it was all he could think of.

She leaned in hesitantly, and Adrien decided that he was going to close the distance this time. He leaned forward and caught her face between his hands. He sealed his lips over hers and threw caution to the wind. It only took her a moment to respond to him. She dragged her fingers down his back and teased the bottom of his shirt with them. He pulled her chest flush with his and pulled her down with him as he leaned back onto the bed. She pulled away from him and moved to brace herself and Adrien couldn't help but to tease her.

"Afraid to crush me?" He quirked an eyebrow at her.

"Are you telling me I'm not?" She sounded surprised.

"Marinette, you can't weigh more than a hundred and twenty pounds, and with how toned you are, I'd be surprised if weigh even that." She flushed at his words. "And you were sleeping on top of me as a dead weight. You weren't crushing me then."

"Good point." She said. She leaned in and kissed him again. "Thank you Adrien."

"For what?" He asked surprised.

"For not being upset with me." And now he was just perplexed.

"Why would I be upset with you?" He almost sounded upset now.

"I just had my first kiss last night with a guy in a mask, and now here I am kissing and sleeping with you. I mean, in the same bed as you. God I don't know how to not be awkward." She groaned out the last part before burying my face in his neck.

"Let me get one thing straight with you Marinette." His voice was almost stern, so she pulled herself together and stared at him, awaiting his words. "I like you a lot. If you decide that you like me, that's okay. If you decide you like Chat, that's okay. If you decide you like us both, okay we can figure something out, but if you don't actually like either of us, that's when I'll be disappointed." 

She frowned. "You doubt that I like you?"

"I don't, but Mari, please understand something. I don't just like people okay. You are one of my closest friends, and I care about you so much that I can't even begin to explain. I doubt that you are, but if you are just playing both Chat and myself," he took a deep breath trying to get over how weird that sentence sounded. "Then I'm going to be hurt and disappointed, because that doesn't seem like the kind of girl that you are."

"It's not. I promise." She held her pinky out to him and he smiled.

He wrapped his finger around hers. "I believe you. And I was serious when I said, it's entirely up to you and I'm okay with whatever you decide."

"And if I can't decide?" She frowned and looked away from him. It was breaking his heart to not tell her right now, but the time and place wasn't right.

"Then either your heart will decide, or we'll all have to talk." Adrien said softly. He knew there was no way that himself and Chat Noir could ever be in the room at the same time, but it had happened before, and he'd be damned if he wouldn't be able to do it again. Or maybe by then they'd have a better place to talk and he could be honest with her.

"Okay," She yawned. "I think I need to go back to sleep. She put her head back on Adrien's shoulder and he pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"Get some rest. We can talk more tomorrow." Adrien whispered as he settled his hands on her mid back. Soon, they were both fast asleep once again, both of their thoughts gone, their heads instead filled with dreams.


	5. A Long Week

When they had woken up, everyone had parted ways due to busy schedules. Marinette had spent all Saturday and Sunday working in the bakery with her parents so that she could get some new fabrics to work with. She had been disappointed that Chat hadn't shown up either night, but even when she had gone out as Ladybug, she realized he must be taking this weekend off since he didn't show up to their weekend patrols. Monday morning, she walked into the class to find Alya and Nino both giving her sad looks. "What?" She had said, not having understood why they had sadness radiating from them.

"Adrien's father is forcing him to do some big out of the country photo shoot. He left Saturday, he'll be gone until Wednesday." Nino had frowned. And the next several days had seemed bleak. Her science desk seemed too big, and the days seemed longer. The nights were the worse. Chat didn't show up to their Monday night patrol. Surprisingly enough, there was not a single akuma appearance. 

Her mind raced. Maybe Chat was mad at Ladybug for how she had treated him? Maybe Chat was trying to visit Marinette when she was out as Ladybug? Whatever the reason was, her world seemed to be grey scale without either Adrien or Chat Noir in her life. She got her school work done in record time, she created 4 new designs, and she even was getting to bed on time with her nightly patrols. 

"What am I doing Tikki?" Marinette said as she landed in bed at 9 at night.

"What do you mean, Marinette?" Tikki hovered above her face.

"I mean, all I could think about the last 5 nights before bed is which boy do I like more, but I don't know why I keep throwing myself around. Chat has been my best friend for years and he now likes me as Ladybug and Marinette. I could date him without worrying about endangering him. But Adrien, I've been in love with him for years and he's always been kind to me even when I haven't been kind to him." Marinette sighed and threw her hands up. "It's like they're on a scale Tikki, and I'm trying to make one side weigh more than the other so that I know who I want more, who I love more. The only problem is, every pro has a match and every con has an equal. They level out every time."

"Marinette," Tikki sighed. "I can only encourage you to do what's best for you. And I can't tell you what's best for you." Tikki floated down and hugged Marinette's cheek.

"Boys," Marinette sighed.

"I know, they're so drab, aren't they?" Marinette almost screamed as Chat's voice drifted down through her open skylight. "Sorry to startle you, Princess. I was a little to engulfed listening to you compliment me." His Cheshire worthy grin gleamed in the moonlight, before he dropped through the window. Marinette felt Tikki burrow into her hair.

"Gotta go Alya, bye!" She pretended to hang up on her friend, hoping that he would take the bait. If she had gone this long without him finding her out, she would kick herself for him finding out like this. She sat up and glared at the cat in front of her.

"Aw c'mon, I was enjoying that." Chat smiled before he leaned in and pecked her cheek. "Even if you were trying to compare me to Adrien Agreste." 

"How? Who? Where did you even come from?" Marinette was trying her hardest not to shout as she questioned him.

"How? Simply, I just sat on your roof and listened as compliments floated to my ears. Who? Me of course. You didn't forget who I was already, did you? Where did I come from? Well, according to my parents I was born," before he could ramble away, Marinette brought her finger to his lips in order to quiet him. He smiled and gave her finger a small kiss.

"How did you find out that I was talking about Adrien Agreste?" She whispered.

He pulled her finger away and laced her fingers between his. "Well, you did say Adrien, and considering he flagged me down the other night to tell me what happened, I'd say I have some insider knowledge."

"He what?" Marinette used all the air in her lungs to mutter that sentence. It felt like her lungs had stopped functioning as her heart skipped a few beats.

"I was getting ready to patrol on Saturday evening and he waved me down from his home. He said he wanted to talk and explained what had happened between the two of you after the akuma attack. Gotta say purrincess, I was only a little jealous that he was allowed to spend an entire night while I got shooed away after being a gentleman." Chat batted his green eyes at her.

"Well he was a perfect gentleman too. Though I doubt either of you deserve that title after neither of you communicating with me for the last several nights." Marinette crossed her arms.

"I know, and we both should have treated you the way you deserve to be treated, but he had a last minute something or another and I have been a bit preoccupied myself with my other life. And if I could, I would have been here every night for you." He reached out and stroked her cheek with the smooth, unsharpened side of his claws. "But he and I did get to discuss this little situation more."

"What do you-you mean?" Marinette gulped as mischief flashed in her cat's eyes.

"Well, it seems that you still haven't decided if you liked either of us more, and since we both like you, we came to a little agreement." Chat Noir couldn't help but be a little proud of himself as he watched her stare into his eyes as a blush began to fill her face, neck, and shoulders. 

"What kind of agreement?" She said so softly that his ears twitched, making her break the eye contact to stare at them in surprise. "I didn't know those things moved."

"Only sometimes." He leaned in closely and whispered. "Are you trying to change the subject, Marinette?"

"No, not at all," Her warm breathe caressed his cheek and made weak. It had been the longest days of his life without being able to see her either during the day or at night. He knew Ladybug would kick his ass later for not showing up to patrol, but it had already been hard enough not being able to see the woman who held his affection.

"Good. Adrien and I agreed that if you wanted to, and only if you wanted to, we'd be okay with you seeing both of us." He stayed close, hoping maybe she would lean forward and let him kiss her, but he wasn't going to force her to do anything she wasn't okay with.

"Both of you?" The sound that came out of her mouth was barely recognizable as words it was so high pitched. She had uncrossed her arms and was gripping her blanket tightly, her eyes averted from him. He placed a claw under her chin and guided her face back to him.

She stared into his glowing green eyes. They were a different shade from Adrien's, but just as stunning and attractive. "We thought it might make things easier on you."

"I-Chat-I've literally had one relationship, and that didn't even last a week. Both of you?" She didn't look as panicked as she had been when she had walked into class Friday morning, but he could sense her anxiety. He dubbed that his 6th sense, being able to sense other's negative emotions.

"Considering that we both care about you and you didn't seem so sure that you could pick one of us, we decided that we would both be okay with dating you. Of course there would be a couple of stipulations, but I thought, actually he and I both thought that if you cared about both of us, why should we make you choose?" In all reality, this had been a small idea in the back of his head ever since he had kissed her that first night. He knew that she was torn and he didn't want to make her choose, so this had been the fix it answer.

"And Adrien was okay with this?" She whispered.

"Text him." Chat nodded. She picked up her phone and unlocked it. "Ask him, is it true? He'll know exactly what you're talking about."

Her hands had a slight tremble to them as she typed. Adrien hoped the stupid app he had put on his phone would work. As soon it received that message, it was supposed to text her  _of course, we can talk more about it in person Mari :)_

Her eyes lit up at the instant response. "Oh wow." She looked up at Chat and held up the phone screen for him to read. He smiled at his handiwork. 

"I'm not one to say I told you so, but I told you so purrincess." Chat was gleaming with pride.

"So how would this work, exactly? I couldn't exactly explain to my friends this, I mean maybe Alya, but Nino would probably get freaked, and my parents, oh god my parents!" She smacked her forehead in exasperation.

"You could either be honest about it or keep it to yourself, but I purrsonally think it may be a better idea to keep the real thing to a small group of people. That way no one targets you. I mean, you would be dating not one but two celebrities and that could make a lot of people jealous." Chat Noir was ecstatic that she hadn't shot down the idea all together. "But if it made you more comfortable, you could have a public relationship with Adrien and keep me as your night time hero." He winked at her.

"But Chat, is that fair to you? Wouldn't most of my time be spent with Adrien then? And we'd never be able to go out in public together." Marinette frowned and his heart flipped.

"Marinette, I don't mind my private moments with you, besides I can take you anywhere I want after dark." He smiled at her. "However Adrien and I did agree on one rule."

"Oh?" She looked worried again, digging her teeth into her lower lip.

"We won't be in the same room with you unless absolutely necessary. That way you won't have to pretend in front of anyone. And that way you won't have to choose between us." The reasons were absolute bullshit to him, the real reason was that it would be physically impossible to have both Adrien Agreste and Chat Noir in the same room at the same time. But he knew they would satisfy Marinette's curiosity.

"Oh, I think that's okay." She nodded. "So you're not mad at me kitty?"

"Why would I be mad?" He asked, wrinkling his brow.

"That I didn't just choose you after you promised that you would prove that you thought I was amazing? And that after I kissed you, I also kissed Adrien too?" She looked into his eyes, searching for anger, but she didn't find any in him.

"Of course not, sometimes, people need more than one person to love them." He smiled. "Some times, people are more comfortable in open relationships."

"I'm not." She stated. "I don't think this really is an open relationship, because I don't want anyone else but the two of you chaton." She leaned forward and pulled him into a hug. She pressed a kiss to his shoulder, before setting her forehead there.

"Well that's comforting," He held her tight, knowing that only too soon would he have to let go. And that one day, when she knew the truth, she would either be upset with him, or she would feel relieved. He begged that she would be relieved, but he knew that sometimes she could have a temper, and it was only when it was warranted.

"Chat?" She yawned.

"What can I do for you?" He asked. He would bring her the stars and the moon if he could.

"Stay until I fall asleep?" She said as she pulled away from him and blinked up at him. 

"Of course." He leaned down onto the pillows with her and let her curl into his chest. His nails scratched her back and her scalp and soon she found herself falling asleep listening to the steady beat of his heart.

Chat Noir knew that once she was asleep, that he himself needed to get up and go home. Otherwise he would face a morning rush. He leaned down to kiss her cheek and snuck out of her bed and through her window. He looked down at her with a look of fondness, before he shut her skylight and leaped off her roof, in route to Agreste Manor.

Upon his arrival, he dove through the open window and landed on his feet. He quickly released Plagg and sighed. "Yeah, yeah lover boy. You wanted to stay and hold her all night again." Plagg said heading straight for the mini fridge full of Camembert.

"I did, I haven't seen her in days. And we probably should have stayed out to patrol so that I could try to talk to Ladybug, but I have so much homework from that stupid photo shoot that father made me go to." Adrien rolled his eyes. " _Just a few days, gotta get some good photos in Italy,"_ Adrien mocked his father's announcement of the sudden trip.

"Well at least Italy has good cheese." Plagg said as he ripped open a canister.

"Says you. I didn't get to do much eating. Morning shoots, day shoots, evening shoots, night shoots. I think I got 4 hours of sleep that entire trip." Adrien ripped open his book bag and pulled out his tablet to work on the assignments. He didn't have much time to catch up, the end of the semester already seemed to be upon him. It was his final year at Dupont, and he wanted to make it count. While he knew that he would immediately be accepted into a modeling career at  _Gabriel_ , he wanted to be prepared to move on after his modeling career wrapped up. Sure, he still had the physique of a model and knew all of the motions, but the only reason he was in this good of shape was his night time moonlighting as Chat Noir.

"Well, tomorrow, you get to spend all day at school with her as Adrien." Plagg stated as he shoved a second slice into his mouth.

"Yeah, but that's tomorrow. I have enough homework, that I won't be able to do anything but homework for days." Adrien complained as he began to skim their weekly reading from English. He had already the assignment, so he skipped straight to the questions. He finished all of his work except for his Math by the time the clock struck 3 am. "Alright, lights out Plagg. Don't forget to plug my phone in."

He collapsed on his bed, forgoing the process of putting on pajamas all together. When his alarm went off 3 hours later, he groaned. "Turn it off."

"Turn it off yourself." Plagg grumped. Adrien rolled out of bed and trudged of to his desk, turning off the shrill alarm on his phone.

Adrien felt like he needed 10 cups of coffee just to wake up enough to see. He stumbled into his bathroom and stared at the dark circles under his eyes. He took a deep breath and decided one day of bumming it would not be a bad thing. He snatched a hoodie and a pair of jeans and tugged them on. He quickly grabbed all of his school stuff before throwing his bag over her shoulder. He was determined that he was going to get a cup of coffee before school, which meant getting past his father, Nathalie, and his bodyguard.

He ducked out his room and down the stairs without a problem. He quickly ran through the front doors and was out of the gate before anyone could stop him. He made it to the bakery before anyone even recognized who he was. Once he reached the register though, it was a different story. "Good morning Sabine," Adrien greeted Marinette's mom. Years ago she had scolded him into using her first name.

"Good morning dear," Sabine reached over the counter and patted his cheek. "Glad to see that you came back after Friday night."

"Of course I did," Heat rose up Adrien's face at the memory. None of the group had tucked each other in, which left it to either Tom or Sabine. And Tom was not likely to get through the skylight.

"Good. Would you like to walk with Marinette and Alya to school today? They're upstairs eating a quick bite before they leave." Sabine offered.

"I wouldn't want to intrude." Adrien stated as Sabine handed him his usual coffee with nutmeg and cream and a danish.

"Nonsense, head on up." She waved him towards the stairwell. He moved to reach for his wallet and Sabine nudged him towards the door. "Not today. Today it's on the house."

"Thank you!" He waved as he went through the back door and up the stairs to the apartment above. He opened the door and both girls swiveled around to see who had come up.

"Adrien?" Alya asked. "Were your ears burning?"

"What?" He asked, touching his ears to make sure that they hadn't burned in the sun he had gotten at the photo shoot.

"She means, did you know that we were talking about you? And that's why you suddenly appeared?" Marinette giggled. Adrien was too stunned to answer. Marinette's hair was not in pigtails, in fact her hair was in soft curls that framed her face with a headband in her hair. She was wearing her usual pink color, but instead wearing pants and a blouse with a jacket, she was wearing a black skirt that brushed her knees and a pink long sleeve that fit to her figure.

"Um, no, your mom, she sent me up." His hand brushed the back of his neck. Of course today Marinette was looking as beautiful as ever and today he decided to dress down.

That's when the girls noticed that he was holding a cup and a bag. "Ah, your girlfriend's mom is being sweet on you," Alya smirked.

Marinette smacked her hand over her mouth and made eye contact with Adrien who didn't look surprised at all. "Glad to have your approval, Alya." Adrien swept himself into a very Chat like bow before he rose and walked over to Marinette. He kissed her forehead and said, "I'm glad you were comfortable enough to tell her."

"Puh-lease. She had to cough it because she looked like the cat who ate the canary when I walked in this morning to her actually up and ready for school." Alya was no longer smirking, she was giving him a full on smile. "And of course I approve, because we both know if either you or Chat Noir mess, I'm going to be the one who gets to tear the two of you apart."

"Remind me to remind Nino that he needs to get you some more flowers." Adrien retorted. 

It was all Marinette could do to keep up with the situation. Adrien was agreeing that she was his girlfriend, and that her mom was his girlfriend's mom. And now Alya and Adrien were freely chatting about her relationship status at her kitchen counter before school? She wasn't sure what universe she had been thrown into, but she was beginning to like it.

"Alright, alright, put the claws away. We need to go to school." Marinette said standing up from the counter. She was glad she had decided against the heels that Alya had tried to convince her on. Her legs felt like jelly.

"Fine, but tomorrow, we're bring Nino along on this walk." Alya rolled her eyes.

"Tomorrow I'll probably be driven to school. I kind of snuck out this morning." Adrien shrugged.

"Ditching your bodyguard again? Tsk tsk, such a bad boy." Alya teased.

"That's not going to get you in trouble, is it?" Marinette asked.

"Not at all, I'll just say I left super early to practice fencing since we were away for so long. Sorry about that, by the way, I didn't really have much of a chance to let anyone know when my father sprung that on me." Adrien said as the group went down the stairs and out onto the street. He wrapped his arm around Marinette's shoulders as they walked to school.

"It's okay. Nino explained what happened. I'm sure that your photo proof will be posted by the end of the week." Marinette laughed as Alya walked alongside of the couple.

"Alright, before the rest of the journalists come to get the scoop, dibs on the first picture." Alya explained as she whipped out her phone and snapped a picture of the two. Both were beaming as they walked to school. "I'll wait to post it until we get to school, that way we don't get mobbed on the way."

They crossed the street and entered the courtyard just in the nick of time. The first bell rang and the group rushed to get to the class in time. Before Adrien could take his place next to Nino, Alya zipped in and stole his spot, giving him a look. "Uh uh, now that you two have made it official, I get to sit next to my man now."

"This is the real reason she wanted us to get together, isn't it?" Adrien asked. Marinette half shrugged as she took her usual seat, glee filling her as Adrien sat next to her.

Soon, everyone in the class had zeroed in on the seat change, but no one seemed to have any words about it. Until Chloe Bourgeois walked in of course. "Um, what is this?" She said holding her phone up for everyone to see what was on Alya's personal blog. Why Chloe even followed it, Marinette couldn't guess, but pretty soon everyone else in the class had their phones out and were searching for whatever she was trying to show them. Several gasps and a few squeals of excitement were heard until Chloe raised her hand.

"Is this some kind of joke?" She asked. No one stood to answer her. Alya looked to satisfied by the situation to open her mouth, Nino was still searching for the blog so that he could see what it was that Chloe was complaining about, and Marinette was too busy trying not to die of laughter to answer. So Adrien took it upon himself to respond. 

"Is what some kind of joke, Chloe?" He was certain he knew what she was referring to, but since he hadn't actually seen Alya post anything, he couldn't be certain.

"Is this some kind of joke, Adrikins?" Chloe pouted. 

"Chloe, you know I don't like it when you call me that." Adrien rolled his eyes. Marinette's hand clasped over his and he looked over at her, a smile crossing his features.

"You wouldn't do this to me, would you Adrien Agreste?" She scolded, her eyes looking a touch colder than usual.

"Could you be more specific? I know we're friends and all, but I don't speak cryptic." He sighed. A snort escaped Marinette, and it was all he could do to keep himself from laughing along with her.

"You wouldn't choose to date Marinette Dupain-Cheng over me, would you?" Her voice commanded attention from the entire room. It grew deadly silent as the class anticipated Adrien's answer.

"Chloe, you're my friend." And with that the blonde let out a growl.

"Your friend? YOUR FRIEND! I am Chloe Bourgeois! I should be your girlfriend, not her!" She pointed a finger at Marinette's face.

"Chloe, you're my friend, but Marinette is my girlfriend." The second bell rang and their teacher walked in.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me!" Chloe shouted.

"Principal's office Mademoiselle Bourgeois. You know how I feel about foul language in my classroom." Mlle Bustier directed as she set her work bag down on her desk.

"But Mademoiselle Bustier! Adrien and Marinette are dating!" Mlle Bustier looked up and smiled at the seating change in her classroom.

"Of course, congratulations to Adrien and Marinette, but Chloe, that does not excuse your use of the f word. Please head to monsieur Damocles' office immediately." Mlle Bustier turned to the board and began to write out the title of today's lesson as Chloe stormed from the room, slamming the door behind her.

 Marinette couldn't help but feel good as she realized that Adrien had not only stood up to Chloe for her, but also just announced her as his girlfriend to their entire class. Pink stung her cheeks as she pulled out her class items. Adrien had to take his hand back, but soon she found his ankle locked around hers. Their lesson was currently about different writing formats and different point of views that authors could use. Soon though, she had a gut wrenching feeling. It wasn't one that said something bad was going to happen, but more like an akuma attack was imminent. She quickly excused herself and ran to the girls' locker room to transform.

"Something is happening Tikki, let's go figure it out." As soon as she had transformed, she didn't have to even look. The door to Monsieur Damocles office blew off and out walked an akuma wearing all black with a veil covering its face.

"I am Shade, and Marinette Dupain-Cheng is going to pay for this!" The akuma yelled.

"You have got to be kidding me." Ladybug groaned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now I know that I was planning to do 2-3 updates a week, but since I am currently unemployed and have not had much luck in the job hunting front, I decided that I would just keep writing to my heart's content. And since that means I have nothing better to do, I have been writing, a lot. Thanks for everyone who is leaving comments, kudos, and bookmarking! It makes me feel successful in this down time of my life :)


	6. Chloe Strikes Again

Ladybug was ready to attack "Shade" on the spot. Of course Chloe hadn't gotten better with her emotions of the years and of course Hawk Moth would strike her with an akuma the second she blew up over the fact that Marinette was dating Adrien. While that fact didn't necessarily surprise Ladybug, it did disappoint her. Chloe had become better over the years, bearable was one way to describe it. And now it felt like all of her progress was going to be undone in one hissy fit.

"Hey! Over here!" Ladybug said as she leaped out from her hiding place. She landed and faced off with the akuma. On closer inspection, it was clear that she was dressed like a widow. The veil covered her face, and the dress she wore was of black lace. It was not something that Chloe would ever be caught dead in.

Ladybug spun her yo-yo at Shade and watched as it passed straight through her, as if she had simply thrown it into darkness. "Oh you have got to be kidding me." The last time someone wasn't affected by her yo-yo, it was Chloe's mom when she got turned into Style Queen and was made of pure glitter.

"Well, well, well. Ladybug, you may as well give me your miraculous now before you disappear into the shadows." Shade pointed her hand towards Ladybug. She was getting real sick of the same old request. Her miraculous this, her miraculous that. Why would she ever hand it over? Why would they never learn?

"How about no." Ladybug stated as she scanned the courtyard, trying to find a way to stop Shade before she built up any steam. Ladybug was lucky enough to have felt the signature build up of an akuma outburst. So far the only person who could have been in danger would have been Principal Damocles, but she couldn't be sure.

Chloe's growl drew her attention. "Then perish." A black ball flew at her, and she flipped out of the way. The floor took the impact, turned black, and melted away. It left the floor beams underneath exposed.

"Hey, I'm the only one around here allowed to destroy things!" Chat dropped from the ceiling and tried to hit Shade with his baton. It passed through her harmlessly. "Seriously?"

"Move kitty," Ladybug caught him with her yo-yo and yanked him down to her. She just barely kept him out of harm's way. The stairs changed shades and disappeared.

"Yikes, any ideas, milady?" Chat turned to her. She frowned.

"My guess, a little bit of luck?" She turned and threw for her lucky charm. A flashlight fell into her hands. "Okay?" she looked around and her vision changed. Chat's baton, a roll of tape, and Shade herself lit up.

"Anything?" He asked as he knocked her out of the way of Shade's aim. She landed on top of him a few feet out of the way.

"Here." She handed him her yo-yo and snatched his baton. "Don't abuse it." She took off and snatched the roll of tape. She attached the flashlight to his baton. "Akuma, akuma, akuma." She muttered, scanning Shade's form. She decided on the shoes, since they were the only thing not black, they were a deep purple. She extended the baton and let the flashlight flash straight under the veil. Shade screamed and ripped the veil from her face, covering her face with her hands. She let them fall away and that was when Ladybug wished she had been fast enough to look away. There was long dark streaks down her red face.

"You'll pay for that Ladybug!" Shade cursed.

Ladybug kicked her feet out from under her and snatched the heels. She quickly threw them to Chat. "Need a little help here."

"My pleasure!" He cataclysmed the shoes and an akuma fluttered out. They threw back their weapons and she snatched her yo-yo from midair. Ladybug quickly captured the akuma, before releasing a pure white butterfly. She threw up her flashlight and said the magic words, soon the courtyard was back to normal and Chloe was sitting in front of them, looking confused.

Ladybug landed next to her partner and held up a fist. "Not bad, not bad milady." He said as he gave her a fist bump.

"Not bad yourself, kitty." Ladybug teased.

"Not a single akuma victim either. I'd say that's a new record." Chat leaned on his baton and smirked at her.

"You're always a great partner Chat, thank you." She patted his shoulder and moved to run off to change back.

"You aren't mad at me?" He asked.

"Not at all. Just have some things going on in my other life. I let it affect me. No more worries." She smiled. "See ya later." 

He was left stunned as she took off over the roof. She was obviously not mad at him, and have forgiven him for his being gone for days. A beeping made him realize that he needed to move quickly. He bolted out the front door and through the window into the custodian closet and quickly changed back.

"Here," He handed Plagg a piece of cheese and shoved him into his pocket. He ran back to the classroom. As he smoothed his hair, he realized that the door was just beginning to shut. Adrien dashed through and landed in his seat next to an out of breath Marinette. He glanced at her with curiosity, but his gaze was yanked to the door as it slammed open again.

"Sorry Mlle Bustier." Chloe said as she kept her head ducked. She quickly sat at her desk and set herself up for the day. Adrien did feel bad for her, she had been akumatized many times over the years. Chloe had more emotions than most people realized, and because of that, she tended to be an akuma just as often as she caused them.

"Thank you Chloe, we always get upset. But we need to use better language." Mlle Bustier said. She directed everyone to the board and continued her lecture.

Adrien hoped the rest of the day would go smoothly for Chloe. And he knew that later he would have to speak to her about his new relationship status. For now, he was pleased that no one made a comment the rest of the hour about Chloe's akumatization. It wasn't until the class change period that someone went  _ooo, Chloe's throwing serious shade, run guys._ Finally the poor girl looked ready to cry. And what shocked the entire yard was Marinette letting go of Adrien's hand and standing between the kid and Chloe.

"Hey! Everyone has emotions, so what? We all have bad days, and this is just one of her bad days, back off Paul." She said pointing in his face. She was probably half a foot shorter than the guy, but what she lacked in height, she made up for in anger. He blinked down at her in shock, considering she had been the target of Chloe's rage. 

"Sorry," Paul muttered.

Marinette shook her head. "You don't need to apologize to me, Chloe is the one you made fun of." She walked back to where Adrien was waiting for her as the kid looked up at Chloe. 

"I'm sorry Chloe." Paul said, rubbing his shoulder.

"Thanks Paul," Chloe nodded. And then she surprised everyone. She smiled at Marinette and walked away to her next class. The rest of the day whirled away, teachers packing in knowledge and handing back their test results. Marinette and Adrien each scored high on their science tests, which really was no surprise, but they were both pleased with the results. They had done lunch on campus, working through the rest of Adrien's makeup work, giggling along the way.

At the end of the day, Marinette was absolutely exhausted. She was ready to go home, do her homework, and take a nap. Instead, her friends stopped her from walking out the door. "Trust me, girl. You don't want to walk out without Adrien. Even if you live next door." Alya said, grimacing. Marinette had almost forgotten what big scoop was inside her school that the media was going to frenzy over.

"Why not?" She glanced over her friend's shoulder at the crowd of cameras outside that were already waiting for her. "Oh no."

"Exactly." Nino said, shoving both of the girls back inside. Adrien met them in the middle of the courtyard at one of the benches. He set down his bag and waved at them. He pulled his hoodie over his head, revealing his white t-shirt underneath. He pulled it over Marinette's head and situated the hood so that it hid most of her face. Alya handed him a pair of her large sunglasses and he situated them on her face. Marinette was surprised that she was being dressed by her friends, but it really didn't embarrass her at this point. Alya's arms circled her waist and she tied her flannel there.

"Don't worry, we've got this planned out." Adrien winked. He took Nino's leather jacket and threw his arms through it. He pulled his hair up and tied it off with a hair tie before slamming a baseball cap over his head. He put on a pair of sunglasses and they looked completely different than they had all day.

"So what? We're just going to walk straight out?" Marinette bit her lip. She knew that they didn't look the same and that their faces were covered, but most of their classmates had left for the day, so they couldn't exactly blend in.

"No, we're going to walk out, after Alya posts a picture of us like this, heading out the back door." Adrien assured her.

"Exactly. Now let's get this down that way we change back around." Nino said.

Their plan went without a hitch. As soon as they heard the group of photographers migrate, they dashed out the front and all landed at Marinette's home, back in their respective clothes, except for Marinette was still wearing Adrien's hoodie, which was two sizes too big for her. They sat in the kitchen and all snacked on some fruit that Sabine had left out for them. "So, I gotta ask, can I do the first official Adrinette interview?" Alya grinned as she bit into a strawberry. Marinette rolled her eyes at her friend's use of the celebrity name that had shown up while they were in class.

Adrien looked over at Marinette. "I don't what you're looking at me for, publicity stuff is all up to you." Marinette said picking up a grape. She didn't really want to do an interview after the chaos they had gone through to get out of the school alive, but if Adrien thought it was a good idea, she'd do it.

"Well, would it be more comfortable for our first few appearances to be on Alya's blog instead of on a talk show or when the paparazzi actually catches up to us?" Adrien asked as he stabbed a piece of watermelon with a fork.

"He makes a good point 'Nette, would you prefer a friendly face over a pariah?" Nino mumbled around his mouth full of blueberries.

"Alya, you can do it. But when do you want to?" Marinette said while she peeled the skin off her grape.

"How about as soon as we fix your hair and makeup?" Alya offered with a cheeky smile.

"What?" Marinette spluttered.

"It'd be easy going. We could do it on the roof since that's where it all started." Alya winked.

"We're doing this?" Marinette looked at Adrien who wrapped his arm around her.

"Only if you're ready to, we can keep trying to dodge the media, but sooner or later, someone will get a hold of us and get the scoop. I'd rather it come from us and through a controlled network, rather than some photojournalist looking for the scoop." And Marinette couldn't help but smile. She leaned forward and kissed him quickly. 

"Alright, let's do it." She said facing Alya. Her best friend squealed and yanked her upstairs. They redid the curls that had fallen and touched up the makeup that had rubbed off during school hours. 

Alya kissed her fingers and threw them out. "Beautiful, let's go knock the world off their feet." She opened the floor and yelled for the boys to come meet them on the roof. They jumped up and set up everything. Alya wanted them to sit on the lounge chair and Nino would film as she sat next to them in a separate chair.

Everything was in place when Nino and Adrien appeared and looked ready to take on the world. Marinette went to shrug off Adrien's hoodie, but he stopped her. "It looks better on you anyways." 

She tucked her hair behind her ear. "How do you want to sit?" She asked. 

He sat down and patted the space next to his right side. Once she sat down, he pulled her into her side and pulled his arm around his waist. "Ready?" He whispered in her ears. She smiled and laughed.

"Whenever you are," She smiled back at him. Nino didn't even warn them, Alya just started talking.

"Adrien and Marinette are here with me on today's Alya's World." She smiled for the camera. "We're here for their official announcement after our sneak preview images earlier today. So guys, do you have anything that you have for the world to know?"

Adrien smiled down at her before looking to the camera, Marinette followed his league, but instead turned her attention to Alya. "Well, as I'm sure the rest of the world has been assuming," She smirked.

"I believe what my beautiful girlfriend is trying to say, is that yes, we are dating." Adrien took over for Marinette. "And we're so happy that we can tell everyone now."

"How has it been? Changing from being single, to now being a couple?" Alya asked, recrossing her legs.

"Interesting. That's for sure." Marinette said, looking up at Adrien. He laughed.

"Interesting is one way to describe it. Considering I think you've been quite a fan of this transition yourself Alya." Adrien smirked at their friend. Marinette could feel the playful atmosphere of hanging out with her friends and she felt herself relax.

"Oh I most definitely have been a fan. Seeing you transition from awkward crushes to best friends and now here, it's been a beautiful experience." Alya smiled at the pair. "Is there anything you wish to tell your fans Adrien?"

"That while I do have the lady who holds my heart here with me, the rest of you still mean the world to me." Adrien smiled down at Marinette. "But this is the girl for me." He grabbed her face and kissed her passionately. He let her go as Alya wrapped the show.

"Well you heard it right from the source folks, Adrien is off the market and couldn't be happier. Adrinette is confirmed and beautiful. Alya out!" She held up a peace sign and Nino end the live stream.

"And now we'll watch the views stream in." Nino commented as he locked Alya's phone and handed it back to her. She leaned forward and stroked his face before turning back to her friends.

"And you didn't even tell them the biggest news, Marinette." Alya teased.

Adrien and Marinette both blushed as Nino frowned. "What are you talking about Al?" Nino asked.

"Oh, uh, wait, were we not telling him?" Alya said as her friends both looked embarrassed. "Alright, guess we weren't, whoops, sorry babe." Alya ran her fingers through her hair. It had gotten longer through the years, it now hung down to her lower back. Marinette had always suspected she wanted it the same length that she had worn it as Rena Rouge. 

"Well, looks like we are now." Marinette said softly. She felt like someone had set her on fire, she wasn't sure if her body wasn't on fire to be honest. Her skin was uncomfortably hot and she pulled the sleeves of Adrien's hoodie over her hands in an attempt to hide.

"That is entirely up to you. We can if you want, or we can not if you want." Adrien rubbed small circles into her back.

"I can say please if it helps," Nino said sitting down between his girlfriend and Marinette.

"Alya, since you're the one with the scoop, you can tell him." Marinette offered. She knew the second she said it, the situation would be very real. And she wasn't sure if she was ready for that or not.

"Marinette is dating Adrien and Chat Noir." Alya gleamed.

Nino paused as he seemed to absorb this information. "Wait, Adrien, does that mean you're dating Chat Noir too?" 


	7. Who knows? I Think Everyone

Everyone seemed to hold their breath, waiting for Adrien's answer. Marinette didn't even know what his answer would be. "Well, not really." Adrien stumbled.

Marinette couldn't help but think to herself that he really hadn't cleared anything up. "So does that make you, not straight?" Nino tried again. Marinette choked on air. It brought back the reminder of when she had a similar talk with Alya.

"I'm straight, Nino." Adrien laughed, his hand pulling Marinette closer to him. She liked the feel of him holding her. Almost as much as she had liked Chat holding her until she had fallen asleep last night. She had been slightly disappointed when she woke to find him no longer cuddling her. She had thought having a man covered in leather holding her would be uncomfortable to sleep with, but it was just as comfortable as Adrien holding her.

"Well it would have been okay if you weren't anyways. It's not like anyone in this group has the right to judge." Nino shrugged. Alya beat Marinette at throwing the first pillow. Nino blocked Alya's pillow, but Marinette's hit home as it smacked him in the face.

"Hey! Speak for yourself, not the group." Alya shouted as he made everyone in the group embarrassed.

"Well hey, I'm just saying, he is the only straight one." Nino shrugged. Alya tackled Nino as Marinette's face fell in her hands. This was not the conversation that she had planned on having currently. She hadn't planned on her day going this direction at all. She hadn't planned Adrien to show up while her and Alya were talking about her latest relationship status of not only dating him, but also Chat Noir. And then for their relationship to be all over the internet already? Her interview with her best friends and her boyfriend? Totally unplanned and not anticipated in the slightest. Probably half of France had seen it by now.

Adrien looked around at his friends. Alya was holding her hand over Nino's mouth and whispering quickly in his ear. He was certain that she was probably threatening to cut his tongue out. Marinette looked like she wanted to melt into a puddle. "You guys do know that it doesn't matter to me, right?"

"Well that's good." Marinette rolled her eyes. "Otherwise this would be sorta awkward." He loved the sass that she would have. She usually reserved it for Alya, but when she used it against him, he enjoyed it because it meant she was comfortable.

"Well, I mean, I really have no room to judge." Adrien said. "And I wouldn't judge, because you guys are my best friends."

"Um, appreciated and all Adrien, but Nino's only allowed to out himself, not the rest of us." Alya glared down at her boyfriend whose chest she was sitting on top of.

"Sorry babe, I thought that it wasn't a huge secret. Actually I thought he knew." Nino shrugged. The skylight opened and Sabine popped her head up, a warm aura following her.

"I made a fresh batch of cookies, how about you all come downstairs?" She offered with a soft smile at everyone.

"Sure maman, we'll be down in a minute." Marinette said standing up. She hadn't even thought to tell her mom before that live stream. By now, it was a pretty good probability that her parents had both already seen it. They both followed Alya's blogs. Marinette watched as her mom slipped back down. "Alright, should we clear the air all around?" She offered to her group. She trusted all of them, so there was no real reason that anyone should be left out.

"Yeah!" Nino shouted as Alya crossed her arms.

Alya frowned. "I suppose we should." 

Adrien couldn't help but grin. "I'm down."

"Well, since you were asked the first question by Nino, you're up." Marinette waved Adrien on.

"What, are we doing this like an AA group? Hi my name is Adrien, and I'm straight but I'm dating Marinette while she's also dating Chat Noir?" He offered. The awkward air cleared and soon it was just their group, sitting around chatting again.

"Uh, I mean, that works." Marinette grinned as Alya cracked up next to her, rolling off of Nino. "Nino, you're up."

"Hey guys, my name is Nino, I'm demisexual and I'm dating Alya and only Alya?" He questioned the last part.

"Dude, we know you're only dating Alya." Adrien laughed. "But what's demisexual?"

"It means that I only can form sexual relationships with people that I really care about. I also apply that to my romantic life, but that's kinda unnecessary since Alya here is the love of my life and I would never leave her." He said kissing his girlfriend's hand.

"Looks like it's my turn now. My name is Alya and I'm pansexual. Basically I will date anyone I want to, not kitchen ware though, I draw the line there." She explained before Adrien could even ask.

"Mari?" Adrien turned to her.

"Oh, as you all know, my name is Marinette, I'm bisexual and I'm now dating Adrien Agreste," She smiled at him. "And Chat Noir." She added on as her heart fluttered.

"It seems, Nino, you were right. I am the only straight person in this group. Let's head down before the cookies aren't warm anymore." Adrien stood and lifted Marinette up with him. He was honestly not stunned by any of his friends' confessions. He supposed he had always known, but just never really questioned it. He had seen Alya flirt with a woman, and had never seen Nino stray from Alya's side. Even Marinette had blushed when other women had complimented her. Now that he knew, it all seemed to make sense.

"Those cookies are the best whether they're warm or cold!" Alya said as she dove through the skylight. Nino went through next, with a little less enthusiasm, but Marinette just dropped herself through while bouncing on the bed slightly. Adrien ducked down and closed the skylight behind him. The group all made their way down the steps to where Sabine and Tom both sat on the couches, with the national news on.

"In our celebrity news today, it seems that love is in the air, especially in Paris, which is home to none other than Adrien Agreste and his new boo, Marinette Dupain-Cheng!" Marinette's face paled, especially when her mom turned and winked.

"I have to say, I'm surprised, but it's about time you two." Tom said, standing up and approaching his daughter and her new boyfriend. He threw his arms around the both of them. "Welcome to the family, Adrien!" 

Sabine jumped up and joined them. "Indeed, you will have to bring your father by for dinner soon!" Soon Marinette found Alya and Nino wrapping their arms around her too. She felt happy to have her entire group here, supporting them. Even though she would have preferred telling her parents rather than them seeing it on the news, she was pleased none the less.

Adrien was surprised by the warmth her parents were showing him. Even though they had always been kind to him before, this was different. He was dating their daughter now. Actually, both parts of him were dating Marinette. He wondered if she would tell them about that slight detail. Soon they were all sitting on the couches and eating cookies. The sun was setting on the horizon when Adrien's phone began to ring. He frowned when he saw Nathalie's face on his screen. "I think this is my cue that I need to head home." He said before he answered it.

"Adrien?" She said before he could get a word in.

"Yes Nathalie?" He sighed.

"Your bodyguard is outside. Please come home, your father wishes to speak to you." He nodded along to her words. He should have expected this as soon as school had let out, so he was pleased that he had been allowed to stay this long without complaint.

"Alright, I'll be out shortly." He mumbled.

"Bring Marinette along too. Your father wishes to see her as well." Nathalie hung up and Adrien was left sitting there in shock. He slowly lowered the phone from his ear in shock.

Marinette touched his shoulder, bringing him back to reality. "Everything alright?" She asked.

"Yeah, but." He took a deep breath. "My father is asking that you come with me as well. Is that alright?" He looked over to her parents. Sabine nodded while Tom just smiled.

"Only makes sense to me, son. Just don't keep her out too late." Tom commented. His words made Adrien's chest swell. Being called son by Tom sounded so different from when his father called him that. Alya and Nino stood and began to gather their things.

"We should probably head out anyways, my mom is expecting us at dinner tonight." Alya said picking up her school bag. "Thank you for the cookies, I always appreciate it!" She said as she hugged both of Marinette's parents. She was like another daughter to them, so the hugs didn't surprise him.

"Of course dear, take a bag for the road. I made one for each of you." Sabine said nodding towards the labeled bags on the counter. Everyone gathered there things and Marinette kissed both of her parents.

Adrien had quickly ushered them into his car as a few of the journalists outside of the bakery caught sight of them. They laughed as they crashed into the backseat. His bodyguard grumped at them, so they sat up and buckled in. The rest of the drive they were quiet, both were deep in thought.

Upon their arrival at the mansion, they had to drive past a larger group of people with cameras, but most of them were not professionals. Once the gates shut, they were let out of the car and Adrien guided Marinette up the stairs and through the front doors. She had been inside Agreste Manor more often as Ladybug, so it still stunned her how massive it was. It didn't seem as big as Ladybug since she had run the walls of it literally. Her eyes landed on Gabriel Agreste himself and she felt self conscious when she realized she was still wearing Adrien's hoodie. Even though it didn't fit her, she would be thankful that it was navy and matched her grey skirt.

"Hello Mlle Dupain-Cheng. I'm glad you could join us for dinner." He said as he walked down the stairs. He didn't really look like he was moving, even though he was stiff, he still flowed. It was an absurd walk that seemed to only suit him.

She bowed forward slightly. "Thank you for having me Monsieur Agreste." She said as she brought herself back up to stare him in the face. The very man that she had always left on her Hawk Moth suspect list. She had come close to crossing him off a few times, but she had always left him there. There was a few people on that list, but he was honestly her top suspect.

"You may call me Gabriel, seeing as you are now dating my son." Instead of her cheeks coming aflame with the tone of accusation, her lips curled up in a slight smile and her confidence heightened.

"Then thank you for having me, Gabriel." Adrien stared at his girlfriend. He had seen her face down akumas, Chloe Bourgeois and even the head of the world's most well known fashion magazine, but here she was facing down his father with the same face. He gripped her hand a little tighter, and wondered what could possibly be causing this type of reaction in Marinette.

Marinette watched the bemusement cross Gabriel's features before he squashed it and went back to his normal face. He took the last step in stride and stopped standing directly in front of them. Adrien was now almost as tall as his father, just an inch or two shy of his height. Marinette didn't feel like either of the men towered over her. In fact, it seemed that they could all look each other in the eye, even though both men had to look down to meet her gaze. "Come, let us eat." Gabriel finally broke the silent stare down that he had been having with Marinette. He stepped between the pair and put his arms around both of their shoulders, guiding them to the dining room himself. 

Gabriel moved to the far side of the room to sit at the head chair while Adrien pulled out the seat next to his for Marinette. She sat down quickly and smiled innocently up at him. "Thank you," she whispered.

"Of course, Mari." He pressed his lips against her forehead quickly before he sat at the opposite side of his father. Glancing down the table, he was surprised to see another spot set at the table. Usually he ate alone, and having so many places set made his heart jump. As much as he usually wished his dad would eat with him, tonight he was anxious about it. His father had seemed as warm to Marinette as he possibly could be, but beyond that, he wasn't sure what direction dinner was going to take tonight.

Nathalie walked in wearing her usual pantsuit attire. Adrien half expected her to announce dinner was ready, but was instead surprised when she took the other plated seat.

Marinette watched as Adrien's eyebrows pinched. She wanted to reach out to him and squeeze his hand or even ask what was wrong, but the setting seemed wrong. Instead, she nudged his foot with hers. They quickly linked ankles like they had during class earlier in the day.

Adrien's eyes trained on his father as he reached over and patted Nathalie's hand with his own before re-situating himself so that he sat tall and proud at the head of the table. Adrien wished he was Chat right now and that he had Marinette and Ladybug with him. He wanted to be in control of this situation and currently he felt like he had no control at all. He took a deep breath and tried to relax. 

"So, what brought about this relationship? Not an unexpected pregnancy, I hope." Gabriel stated. Both Adrien and Marinette were happy they didn't have drinks yet since both felt like they were choking.

"Not at all, sir." Marinette stated as Adrien shouted, "Father!"

"One only has to assume based on the suddenness of this relationship." Gabriel said as he waved in their general direction. A staff member shot out of the doors leading to the kitchen and deposited filled plates along the table. The food looked delicious, but Marinette's appetite was gone.

"The only thing they should be assuming is that we care enough about each other as friends that we decided to take a step forward and have a relationship." Marinette challenged the man down the table from her. She was carefully wording her feelings, making sure to not sound as if she was calling him a liar, but also letting him know that he couldn't tread all over her. As her words hit him, she watched him touch his signature red and white striped ascot, not quite adjusting it, but the movement was so brief, that it didn't register as something of extreme importance.

"Well Marinette, I would assume that you would have considered what the news would start thinking once you decided to start dating my son. Especially since you have been noticed by the media before." Gabriel said as he let one of the workers fill his plate. Marinette gave her thanks to one who came and loaded her plate.

"We only assumed that the media would respect our choices, especially after our professional demeanor during our reveal." Adrien chimed, his grip on his fork turning his knuckles white. He knew that he was going to need to calm down, but right now, he was ready to tell off his father in front of everyone.

Gabriel lips lifted. Marinette herself clutched his utensils, staring down the table, trying to see what he was planning. He had her on edge, and she wished she was wearing her suit and had Chat Noir here as well. He hadn't been fond of her opinion on Gabriel being a contender, but he also hadn't told her to cross his name off the list for Hawk Moth. "So Marinette, I am going to have to let you know now what is coming your way via mail. Because it will also be a slight uproar in the world of fashion."

Marinette's pulse took off. She dropped the utensils before she drew attention to herself. "I'm sorry, I don't think I understand." She said as she sipped at the water glass that had been dropped in front of her. 

"My company gets a list of all of the students who have applied and been considered by IFA. We go through the list and choose the most competent student to intern at Gabriel. After a scan through the list, the only competent student turns out to have been associated with me ever since 4 years ago. While I won't rescind the offer, you must realize that this will look preferential, especially since upon my choice to offer you the internship, it spurred your acceptance to IFA." Gabriel showed his hand, and he held all of the cards. Marinette closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Wow," She stated. "That's a lot to take in. Thank you, Gabriel. I will consider that." Marinette was biting her tongue without actually biting her tongue. She knew he had just offered her the world. She hadn't even known that IFA had even looked at her application or portfolio, and here he was telling her he could jump start her career with a snap of his fingers.

"It is indeed. You should be receiving your package in a few days. When you do, you can drop off your decision with Nathalie, she'll be able to tell me what you decide." Gabriel said he took a small bite of his food.

"Of course, however," Marinette blinked a few times. "I do believe my choice is rather clear. I can take anyone's scorn, sir, I'm going to accept your offer for the internship, and I will be grateful for the fact that you aided in my acceptance to IFA."

Adrien shined with pride as he stared at her. He was so happy that her dreams were coming true. He had worn the first design she had ever had in a fashion show, and she had received an offer to move to New York and become a fashion icon. She had turned it down to stay in Paris and finish up her schooling. But he had offered to be her model once she began designing on her own. And he planned to stay true to his word. Even if he decided to drift away from the fashion world, he would always model for her.

"I'm glad you are able to differentiate between professionalism and pleasure. I will await to see what you bring to Gabriel. But for now, I believe I have my own surprise to announce, but I wanted to tell you first before telling the world." Gabriel said as he brought his napkin to his mouth. Marinette gripped her own napkin. What would Gabriel Agreste possibly have to announce?

Nathalie sat up a little straighter and Adrien noticed she had her hair down. "Yes, there's 2 matters that I still have to discuss with you. The first is that I will be releasing a new design line that is directly related to Ladybug and Chat Noir. My team has carefully evaluated what partner to aid Adrien in modeling it. Since your reveal of your relationship, Marinette, we've decided that you would be the best fit. We'll set up times later for when you can begin to learn how to model since this would be your first time." He took a breath, glancing up to gauge their reactions. Adrien's jaw had dropped open and Marinette had wide eyes, looking ready to fall out of he seat. 

"My second announcement is that I proposed to Nathalie and she accepted." Gabriel said as he stared down his son. Marinette noticed Nathalie hadn't touched her plate and that her hands were hidden in her lap. Adrien stood up and kicked his chair back.

"You were dating?! And you didn't even tell me?" He shouted. His feet were planted and he was leaning forward onto the table. Marinette had never seen this side of him. He had always been calm and never let his emotions get the better of him. It almost reminded her of how her masked partner faced off akumas.

"Of course, son. I'm surprised that you didn't realize that." Gabriel said standing from his seat as well. Nathalie lowered her face and closed her eyes. Marinette almost felt bad for her, knowing that this isn't quite what she had in mind for telling Adrien.

"Maybe I would if you ever talked to me, or ate with me." Adrien accused. "And I can't believe you wouldn't tell me yourself." He said staring down Nathalie.

"Adrien," Marinette said softly.

"No." He said looking down at Marinette. There was no anger in his eyes, just sadness and betrayal. "They had chances to tell me, they decided to not. Let's go." He reached for her. She took his hand and stood. 

"And where do you think you're going?" Gabriel said as Adrien moved to drag Marinette out of the room.

"Somewhere where I can think without seeing you. I'm sorry Nathalie, congrats, but I'm disappointed." Adrien looked over his shoulder before moving out of the room.

"Thank you, congrats." Marinette called as she was dragged from the room. They didn't stop moving until they reached the top of the stairs and Adrien yanked her through the door into his room. He kicked the door shut behind him and fell against the door.

"Adrien?" Marinette said as his grip on her hand tightened and then loosened. She stepped towards him and pulled her hands up to his face and almost yanked them back when she felt the warm tears dripping down his cheeks. "Oh no," she whispered. She looked up at his face and pushed his hair out of his face. "I'm sorry."

His tear filled eyes looked into her blue eyes. "Why? You aren't why I'm crying."

"Because you don't deserve to be sad. You don't deserve to feel this way." She said pulling his face down. She kissed both of his cheeks before wiping away his tears. "You deserve to be happy. I'm sure that they just didn't consider your feelings on them. It's not the end of the world. They both obviously care about you, they just went around it the wrong way. And i'm sorry because I wish that I could make you feel better. But I can't change what happened."

Adrien blinked away the tears that were still forming in his eyes and wrapped his arms around her. "What did I do to deserve you?" He whispered. Her words were exactly what he needed to hear. His father's sudden decisions had thrown him off. His father was engaged? He was hiring Marinette and got her into her dream school? They were going to model together? It seemed slightly unreal. He hadn't cried in a few years, but here he was, crying the first time he brought Marinette to his home as his girlfriend. Tonight was not at all what he had anticipated, but he still was happy for her even though he was upset.

"You were yourself." She pressed her face against his chest. "I don't need anything else from you. Besides maybe a ride home." She listened as the laugh built up in his chest. 

"I think I can manage that. I did promise to get you home before it got too late." He said as he lifted her feet off the ground and walked her further into his room. She kicked her legs up and held onto his hips with her thighs. "But would it hurt to cuddle here for awhile?"

"Of course not." She said as she clung to him. She trusted that he wouldn't drop her, but she knew that her strength was probably greater than his. At least, she knew she worked out almost every night. Marinette didn't know what Adrien filled his nights with though, so she couldn't judge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, one or two chapters a week, yet here I am doing one or two chapters a day. I have an interview Friday morning, so that may change if I get the job. But for now, enjoy the fact that I have nothing more I'd rather do besides write.  
> Thanks for reading! I appreciate every kudo and comment and bookmark. You guys are amazing!


	8. Life As We Know It

Marinette had laid on Adrien's chest for about 30 minutes before he finally sighed and admitted that he should take her home. The whole ride home he had rested his head on her lap and looked up at her face. She had played with his hair, braid small strands. He had walked her up to her door and kissed her goodnight. She was sure that at least one picture of that would show up tomorrow, but she didn't mind. Not when she realized how much he cared for her. He had calmed down enough to text her and say he was going to apologize to Nathalie for getting upset and give her a real congratulations. She had told him how proud she was before she walked upstairs and told her parents goodnight. 

It was another early night in bed, but she didn't have patrol tonight. Tonight was supposed to be Chat Noir's night. She yawned as she made her way up to her room. She closed the floor panel and stripped off her skirt before turning and spotting a very red in the face Chat Noir. She probably would have screamed if it wasn't for the face that he literally fell over into her chaise and  covered his head with a pillow, muttering a string of apologies. She quickly ran to her closet and yanked on a pair of pink pajama shorts that were shorter than really necessary, but they covered her. 

"What are you doing up here, are you trying to get yourself caught kitty?" She shouted at him under her breath as she ripped the pillow off of his head. She had half the mind to scold him more, but he looked like he had a rough day.

"I missed you already." Was his only response.

All of her anger deflated out of her like a popped balloon. She dropped her head and took a deep breath. "Next time, I'll check my room before I change." She couldn't stay mad at him, especially since he looked like he needed a hug. She dropped into his lap and flung her arms around his neck. "What's wrong?"

Chat Noir's anxiety kicked up a notch. How she could tell that something was upsetting him was uncanny. Sure, they were dating, and technically they had spent the whole day together, but he had thought he had rid himself of all of his negative emotions before leaving the house. "Just some home life things, princess. Nothing to worry about. I knew coming to see you would make my day alright." He bopped her nose with his claw.

"I see, so you left Ladybug to her own devices tonight?" Marinette teased. She knew for a fact that both Ladybug and Chat Noir were here in her room. 

"I'm sure she'll kick my ass later, but I'm sure love is a good enough excuse that she'll forgive me." He said smirking at her.

"So she knows about this?" Marinette couldn't help but want to play along with this. As much as she would find it easier to just tell him now, they both knew it was too dangerous to ever know the truth unless Hawk Moth was gone.

"Noooo, I haven't exactly had the chance to tell her. Plus I'm not so sure she'd believe me after seeing all of your pictures that have spread across the internet. That interview was something else." Chat Noir smiled down at her in a way that made her stomach flip.

"You really think so?" She said as she mindlessly played with the ends of his blonde locks. "You aren't mad about it?"

"As long as I can share these nights with you, I'm okay with him spending days by your side. Besides, he's one of the good ones, I can see it." Chat leaned in and his lips brushed hers. It was gentle, but inviting. She lingered in place for a moment more before she leaned closer. A few soft, slow kisses later, his one hand pulled her forward by pressing on her lower back while the other one gripped the back of her neck. She threaded her fingers up into his hair and pulled slightly. He groaned so she let go, afraid that she had hurt him. 

Chat pulled back, "You didn't have to stop that, you know." His green eyes were glinting and Marinette was surprised by the mischief behind them. He had always been mischievous, but she hadn't really noticed the freedom he had with it. She realized that she noticed it more as Marinette than she did as Ladybug. Chat always got his work done when there was a need, but even on the rooftops afterwards, he hadn't been like this around her.

"I didn't want to hurt you." She said tracing the lower side of his mask where it met his cheek.

She felt his claws slide up her neck and into her hair causing her shiver. He gently pulled on her hair and she was surprised that while there was a small amount of pain, it actually felt better than she would have expected. 

Chat listened as her breath caught and watched as pink tinted her cheeks. She closed her eyes and sucked in a deep breath, he assumed to try to compose herself. "Silly kitty." She whispered. 

"Are you complaining, purrincess?" He grinned. Marinette couldn't help but realize how white his teeth were.

"No, but I am judging you for being a distraction. I had all the mind to come up and finish my homework. Yet here I am, snuggled up to you, nowhere near touching my desk." She pressed the back of her hand to her forehead and dramatically threw her head back. "Whatever will I do?"

"You can do your homework, I'll just lay over here neglected." Chat said he let his body flop back so that he half laid on the chaise and his head just hung over the side of it. Marinette couldn't help but to laugh. 

"How about this," She said once she was able to get her laughter under control. "I'll grab my tablet so that I can get through my math homework, and we can both sit over here. Instead of you being my distraction, you can help me."

"I think I can manage that. Math just happens to be my specialty." Chat said sitting up. Marinette kissed his nose and stood up, going to grab her school bag. Chat couldn't help but watch her as she walked away. He thought about how she treated both himself and Adrien with the same compassion, but in a different way. With Adrien she was softer, but with Chat she was more of herself. He wondered what caused the difference in her actions.

"Good, because I absolutely hate it. It's necessary, but calculus? What am I going to use calculus for in fashion?" Then she froze holding her tablet, her words reminding her of what had occurred just over an hour ago. "Oh my god, I, oh no." Chat sat a little further, staring at her.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"I totally just realized, I just heard I got accepted into IFA! And Gabriel's internship, and oh my gosh, I'm supposed to be modeling with Adrien? I don't model! I design for the catwalk, not walk it! What am I going to do? Oh god." Chat caught her as she began to sink to the ground. 

"Alright, hold on, start again. What part is making you upset? Cause that all seems to be pretty great to me." Chat said as he held her to his chest.

"I, my career is being jump started, which is amazing, but I have to model? I have to take classes on how to model? I don't model. I'm not the kind of girl that's a model. Look at Alya or Chloe or even Juleka, but me? No, that's not me. I don't have the body, or the confidence, I don't have what it takes. I'll design for the models day in and day out, but this? What am I going to do?" Marinette clutched her tablet to her chest and threw her head back onto Chat's arm so that they were both able to see each other's face.

Chat kissed her temple and said, "I think you should do it." Her brow crinkled and she bit her lip. She began to shake her head, so Chat continued. "Think about it, if you model, you can have another point of view about fashion. That's not something all designers get. And being able to have that on your resume? That will really give your career a jump start. Any boutique in Paris would be wanting you with that kind of experience. Not that they won't after seeing your designs." He winked.

"You really think so?"

"Marinette, I don't think so, I know so. Besides, you think you don't have the body of a model? You are more athletically built than half the models. I mean, seriously," He took a deep breath,. "It's not fair to them, you're beautiful, gorgeous, twice as courageous as most of the women of Paris. And to top it off, you know fashion from a mile away? You've got this in the bag. Plus, you are already in one of the most prestigious fashion schools in the world, and then you're working for that internship? Sounds impressive to me." 

She smiled to herself. "Well chaton, if you ever decide to not be a superhero anymore, you could always go into motivational speaking. You definitely know how to make a girl feel amazing." 

Chat Noir leaned his face in towards hers. "So you admit, I make you feel amazing?"

Marinette rolled her eyes. "Isn't that what I just said?" She asked.

"So I did what I promised. What's my prize?" He asked leaning forward, hoping that he could get another kiss.

"To help me with my math." She said slipping out of his grip and helping him up. "Then we can see about a different prize." She winked at him and he thought about melting into the floor.

This continued to be Marinette's pattern, she saw Adrien at school during the day and then Chat would come around 11 or midnight to either assist with her homework or designs, but sometimes they would just lay in bed until Marinette fell asleep. Thursday night she warned him she wouldn't be home that night because she would be at Alya's, but instead she went on patrol. She ended up sitting on top of Notre Dame and looking out over Paris, which was silent. Chat Noir appeared around Midnight and sat next to her. The two shared a comfortable silence as crime stayed silent. They sat there until the moon sat high in the sky. Ladybug had smiled at Chat and waved goodbye before zipping back home. Chat had stayed there for a few minutes more before heading home himself, happy that he was still able to be friends with Ladybug.

Adrien was basking in the fact that for the rest of the week and weekend he saw Marinette everyday. He had spoken to Nathalie and she had apologized for not telling him sooner, and he had apologized for not being kinder in his congrats. They had hugged it out and moved forward. He hadn't seen his father often. Marinette had come over and dropped off her acceptance letter along with a thank you note. The next day, he decided to surprise her while she was working in the bakery. He showed up wearing a plain t-shirt and jeans with a bouquet of flowers for her and then offered to help in the bakery. Tom and Sabine had been thrilled at the surprise and Marinette's eyes had widened with shock while she grabbed an apron and showed him how to roll croissants.

They began the routine of Nino, Alya, and Adrien meeting at Marinette's and walking the short distance to the school. They would meet back at her home for lunch and would all chat and eat their packed lunches, but Fridays became the day of the week where Tom would make lunch for them. There wasn't an akuma for the first full week of their relationship after Chloe. They made their Monday and Friday patrols, sometimes sitting and sometimes swinging through the streets. They got lulled into a regular pace until Marinette had her first modeling class with Nathalie and Adrien. When she had told her parents all the news, they had made her favorite dessert and invited her friends over to enjoy it. 

But walking up to Agreste manor on a Saturday afternoon in the beginning of December, she hadn't known what to feel. She was wrapped tight in a winter jacket that kept most of the cold from chilling her blood, but not a lot helped anymore. She was always cold in winter ever since she had become Ladybug. She held her duffel close to her side. She hadn't been sure what to bring with her. Chat had joked that she should pack her highest heels and her shortest dress and she had grabbed her spray bottle off her desk and sprayed him with it to his utter shock. Adrien had told her just to bring herself, but she had finally decided to bring a change of clothes and her sketchbook. It made her feel more comfortable. "Alright Tikki, we've got this." Marinette said as Tikki peeked out of her duffel.

"Of course we do Marinette. But I think this is more about you than it is about us. You can do this." Tikki smiled up to her before returning to munching on her cookie that Marinette had packed for her.

"Thanks Tikki." She dropped her phone into her duffel and zipped it shut. She figured Tikki would end up playing all of her games of words with friends. She tended to forget, so she let Tikki play the games for her. Marinette had learned that if she even thought that she would need to knock, the door of the manor would fly open. She raised her hand and Adrien threw the doors open, greeting her a kiss.

"I'm so happy you're here. This is going to be fun!" He said yanking her inside. She had seen this excitement aflame in him more and more often and it made her heart happy. He came to school smiling more than he had before. The world seemed a little brighter when Adrien Agreste smiled. 

"Of course I'm here, I couldn't exactly tell your father no after all he did for me." She laughed as they ran into the front hall. Nathalie smiled as they ran up to her. She had begun to hold her left hand over her right hand in order to show off the ring. Gabriel had designed it himself. The news had broke the day after they had told Marinette and Adrien, and the world had exploded at both Agreste men being taken in the same day.

"Glad that you were able to join us today, Marinette. Follow me." Nathalie beckoned them. They walked into the dining room and Marinette was shocked at the bareness of the room. The table and chairs were gone and the rug was rolled up, leaning against the wall. There was tape along the wood floor, outlining steps and a runway. "Today we're just trying to get you used to the walk patterns. Fortunately, you have one of the best in the industry that can teach you. Adrien, go ahead. I'll be in my office if you need me."

Adrien smirked and held out his hand. "Shall we begin, Mari?" The look was very similar to Chat's face whenever he teased her.

"We shall," She said grabbing his hand in hers. For at least an hour she tried to learn his steps and get a comfortable stride. It ended up being a lot of fun with Adrien teaching her, but she was learning that it was not easy to walk like a model. Finally Adrien let them break and she pulled cheese crackers out of her duffel. She handed a pack to Adrien and pulled out 2 juice boxes as well.

"What's this?" Adrien asked as she handed one to him. 

"A juice box? It's apple flavor." Marinette said as she frowned at him.

"I, um, okay." Adrien said taking it from her. He turned it over and looked at it from different angles.

"Are you telling me that you have never had a juice box before?" Marinette said taking the box back from him. She pulled off the straw and unwrapped it before stabbing it into the box. "You have to try this!" She pushed the box back into his hands.

Adrien looked at it in speculation. He took a quick sip from it and smiled. "That's great!"

"I can't believe that you've never had it before. Maman used to pack one in my lunch everyday before I started eating lunch at home everyday." Marinette said. She threw her legs over his lap and leaned back onto her elbows. "What else have you not had before?" She asked.

"How am I supposed to know?" Adrien shrugged.

Marinette thought long and hard for a moment. "Fast food?"

"Not allowed on my diet. Then again, neither is your parents' cooking, but I make that an exception." He said running his fingers up and down her shin.

"That is terrible. You've never had a milkshake with fries?" She asked.

"I've had milkshakes and fries before." Adrien frowned.

"No, like a McDonald's milkshake and then you dip the french fries in it." She laughed as his appalled look. "I'm guessing that's a no. Don't worry, we'll get you there soon. Maybe that's how we'll celebrate graduation."

"Let's get past Christmas first." Adrien groaned. He flopped onto his back.

"What do you usually do for Christmas?" Marinette wondered.

Adrien sighed. "Well, I usually eat dinner on Christmas Eve, wake up to a present in front of my door, and then go about Christmas like it's any other day. Nathalie will sometimes sit with me at dinner, but she's usually too busy working with my father."

Marinette sat forward and wrapped her arms around her knees. "You don't spend it with your family?" She asked. 

"No, father is always busy." Adrien shrugged.

Marinette thought for a moment, but she knew that her parents would approve of her decisions. "Well this year, it's going to be the Dupain-Cheng-Agreste Christmas! We can have everyone come over and enjoy dinner family style. Nathalie, your father, and your bodyguard are all invited."

"Really?" Adrien shot up and stared at her in awe. Marinette always had the solution. 

"Of course! You're family now, Adrien. You're always welcome, same with your family. Besides, Maman and Papa have been bugging me to get your father and Nathalie over ever since she found out about their engagement." Marinette shot forward and threw her arms around Adrien's neck. She knocked him off balance and they fell back onto the floor in a fit of laughter.

"You're amazing Mari!" He shouted, hugging her tight. She felt like nothing could wipe the smile off her face. Not even Gabriel clearing his throat. She quickly rolled off of her boyfriend and pushed her hair out of her face. 

"I'm glad to see that you know when to take breaks." Gabriel said staring down Adrien who couldn't meet his father's gaze. "What was so important that you were yelling about?"

"We were discussing Christmas plans. I invited you, Adrien, Nathalie and anyone else to come over for dinner on Christmas Eve, and then on Christmas Day, we exchange presents in the morning before going ice skating in the afternoon. I hope that you are able to make it." Nathalie was standing in the doorway, smiling at Marinette's words. 

She looked at her shocked fiancee before turning to Marinette. "I can work that into the schedule. We will be there."

"Are you serious?" Adrien grinned. "Thank you Nathalie!" He ran over and hugged her. Marinette smiled until she noticed Gabriel's unimpressed face.

"It seems that we will be there. I will await the occasion." He said coolly. Marinette's smile turned polite as she nodded at him. She watched him touch his neck tie and adjust it once more. "I have to get back to work. Get back to practice, I hope you will be ready for your next lesson." 

Marinette wanted nothing more than to follow him and see where he was really going, because she highly doubted that he was going to his office. "I'll be right back, I'm going to use the restroom," she said as she walked past Adrien and Nathalie. She waited and watched Gabriel walk through the doors to the atrium. She stopped the door from closing all the way. When she peaked through, the room was empty. Her stomach dropped and she went to the bathroom. She unsnapped her purse until she realized that Tikki was still in her duffel. She knew that something was fishy about Gabriel Agreste, and she was determined that she would figure it out soon. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you thank you thank you for all of the love you guys have been sending me! I appreciate it all so much! We'll see how tomorrow morning goes with my interview, maybe I'll be able to give you a schedule for when my updates will be instead of you guys being shocked when I post one or two a day! Thank you guys for everything! <3


	9. You Have Got To Be Kitten Me (Chat No)

Marinette returned and followed through with the rest of their lesson. She needed to pick Chat's brain before she could do anything else. She let Adrien help her learn how to comfortably walk with his confidence and even learned how to flip her while it was still in pigtails. They laughed and had fun with it. "Gosh Marinette, I can't wait for the line to come out. It's going to be a lot more fun to work with you than it is to work alone." His eyes twinkled as he made the turn with her, both of them strutting back to where they had started.

Marinette couldn't help the smile on her face at his praise. "I hope I don't trip and make both of us fall on our faces." She laughed. 

Adrien was so absorbed, watching the way her eyes crinkled as her smile grew, that he ended up tripping and taking her down with him. She would have landed on her back, but Adrien caught her underneath him, holding both of them up with one hand, his other one pressed firmly against her back. Something made him freeze and stare at her. The way the light reflected in her eyes made them seem a shade deeper, her lips were slightly parted and he could almost hear the words silly kitty form. He stared at her, deep in thought, before realizing that he was holding both of them up with one arm, and normal people weren't exactly able to do that. He gently let her back down before standing up himself. He took both of her hands and helped her to her feet.

"Sorry," They both started.

"No, I'm sorry," They both tried again. Marinette covered her mouth with her hand.

"I'm such a klutz." She said shrugging.

"No, that was all me, milady." The words were out of his mouth before he could stop himself. He closed his eyes in an attempt to compose himself. He did not just call his girlfriend by the pet name for his partner, did he? 

While Adrien's eyes were closed, Marinette had a moment of panic. Had Chat and Adrien been talking more about her to each other than she had known? Then she stopped. But even Chat Noir didn't call Marinette milady, he only called Ladybug that. Did Adrien know that she was Ladybug? She bit her lip and stared at him, begging him to open his eyes. "Sorry, Marinette, I don't usually call you that. Guess I picked that up from Chat." He shrugged. She watched as his shoulders stayed tense and his eyes flicked away from her once he opened them.

"Are you saying that you think I'm the Ladybug to your Chat Noir?" She tried to smirk, but she was sure it looked more like a grimace.

Adrien studied her. There was no flush in her cheeks, her breathing had picked up quiet rapidly, and she was looking at him more like someone analyzing a specimen and less like a girl flirting with a boy. He wondered what he had done to make her so panicked. "Something like that, Mari." His voice came out softer than he meant to, but he was too busy trying to figure out what had just happened. He watched Marinette raise her hand. At first it looked like she was brushing her hair out of her face, but her fingers lingered near her earrings for a moment longer, and it was long enough for it to pique Adrien's curiosity. 

Marinette frowned. "I'm no Ladybug, that's for sure." She lied straight through her teeth. Her stomach dropped with shame, but she had to keep her secret safe. It was one thing that Chat Noir could protect himself if he ever found out her true identity, but she couldn't do that to Adrien. She knew that and it hurt to know that. It was why it was okay for her to enjoy the day time with Adrien and the nights with Chat. More often than not, she was Ladybug at night. She felt comfortable with Chat at night because she was so used to being with him at night already.

Adrien placed his hand against her cheek. "For some reason, I doubt that. You both stand for the same thing, the ones you love." He smiled. He thought back to the night where he had first kissed her when he had ended up on her roof. How he had done it out of fear of never knowing what it would be to live his life without Marinette in it. And now here she was, in his life and Chat's, but he was beginning to wonder, just how much she had been in his life before he had ever realized.

"She stands for all of Paris, I just stand up for my friends." Marinette tried to shrug off the compliment, no matter how good it made her feel. "It's nothing that you wouldn't do. Does that mean you're Ladybug?" She smirked.

Adrien's right eyebrow raised and he stepped in. "Does that mean I have to model Ladybug's outfits for my father's line?" After a beat, they both laughed at the ridiculousness of the accusation. Marinette could have melted with relief. 

"I think you could make it work, but that would make me be Chat Noir, I'm sure you'd be able to portray him better than me." She giggled. And then it felt like her mind rebooted. Blonde hair, check. Green eyes, check. Cheeky comments at times, check. Both were in love with Ladybug, check. Now both were dating her, double check. She stared into the green eyes in front of her. The ones that were scanning her just as closely as she was scanning him. She knew what she would have to do, she would have to talk to Chat and learn more about his personal life in order to get the insane idea of Adrien being Chat Noir out of her mind. It was too crazy of a coincidence. Sure she could consider Hawk Moth to be Gabriel Agreste, the pattern of akumas and their attacks fit. But Adrien? He and Chat Noir had been in the same place at the same time, but then again, she had been in the same room as Ladybug at the same time before too.

"I don't think he'd mind if you treated him with dignity." Adrien's sunshine smile pulled her from her worries.

"That is the only way to treat either of you." She leaned in and kissed her boyfriend. She memorized his lips under hers, the softness of them, they way his hand felt pressing against her cheek. Chat's hands were always gloved, but she wondered if they would be this soft. They were always as gentle on her.

Marinette pulled away first. "Adrien," She whispered.

"Yes Marinette?" He asked.

"I, I really care about you." she said not meeting his eye.

"I really care about you too, but why do I sense a but?" He asked. His heart skipped a beat.

She glanced at her duffel, where she knew Tikki had hidden herself away. "I have a secret." She whispered. She watched as the indigo eyes peeked out of her bag.

"Secret?" Adrien's voice came out an octave higher than he meant for it to.

"It's not something I can tell anyone. Not even Alya or my parents. No one but myself. And it's really hard sometimes. And I guess, I just want you to know, I'm not. I'm never intentionally hiding something from you, it's just that I can't tell anyone. It would make things, weird." She tugged at her one pigtail, hoping that she hadn't just messed everything up. She hoped that he may express that he had something similar, and that it would confirm her thoughts, but if she was wrong, it could push him away from her.

Adrien's heart was in his throat. He only knew one person besides himself that held a secret like that on their chest. "I understand. I know exactly how you feel. I have a secret too, Mari." Adrien said, leaning against the wall and shoving his hands in his pockets.

"You do?" She asked, eyes wide.

"Everyone does. But considering how much I know about you, all of you, already, is it really that weird?" He asked.  _Oh no,_ Marinette thought to herself as she looked at his knowing gaze. All of her? He was definitely suspecting her already. She felt ready to transform and bug out, but at the same time, she felt ready to transform and stand her ground, regardless of the consequences.

"I, uh, I think so." She said scratching the back of her neck.

"Well, if you decide you want to tell someone, I'll always be here." 

"Same for you, Adrien." Marinette said. Her eyes held something that was the fear he had seen earlier, it was something akin to compassion. 

"Thank you," He whispered as he fiddled with the silver ring on his finger. "I should get you home, you've been here for hours. We both have finals to get ready for." He held out his hand to her and she gratefully took it. He dragged her over to the opposite side of the hall. He helped her into her coat and tied her boots for her while she sat there laughing and playfully complaining that she could do it herself. He was tempted to say a princess shouldn't have to, but he caught himself. He had to wait until later in order to find out.

He grabbed his coat and a familiar blue scarf before walking her through the front door and out the gates. There was no photographers today, which Marinette was thankful for. They had bombarded them on a few occasions, but she preferred Adrien walking her home. It was much nicer than being driven, even when it was so cold out. She had her arm wrapped around his and her head leaning slightly against his shoulder as they walked. It felt nice to be like this. It felt normal. Adrien brought the normalcy into her life that she had always wanted since becoming Ladybug. Once they reached her doorstep, he stopped. He pulled her into a hug and debated on it for a moment.

"Marinette, no matter what your secret is, I love you." The words were warm against her ear and just about stopped her heart when she registered that Adrien had just said he loved her.

"I love you too Adrien." She leaned up and kissed him, savoring the moment, knowing that even if he did find out, or even if he was Chat Noir, it would all be okay.

Once they had finally let go, she was back upstairs, sitting on the couch with her parents. Her father got up to cook dinner and her mom wrapped her arm around Marinette's shoulders. "Tell me, what is troubling you? It's written all over your face."

"Maman, it's difficult to explain." She said glancing at her mother out of the side of her eye.

"Does it explain that Chat Noir who keeps showing up at night?" Her mother whispered. Marinette felt all of the air deflate from her lungs.

"Maman!"

"I just hope you know what you are doing, sweetheart. I don't want you to get hurt." Her mother said hugging her. "And I also don't want you to hurt either of them."

"It was, actually their idea?" She offered.

Sabine's face was expressionless for a moment, before she smiled. "Well, in that case, you better know what you are doing. One blonde boy should be enough, but my daughter decides to try to tame two? Good luck." He mother kissed her cheek. "And I do hope you'll introduce us to him one night when he doesn't show up after midnight."

"Of course, maman, I just didn't know how to tell you." Marinette shrugged.

"You can tell me that you're bi, but you don't know how to tell me that you have enough love in your heart for two men? Oh Marinette, I hope that wasn't on my behalf." Sabine frowned down at her daughter.

"Not at all Maman, it's not just something that happens everyday."

Her mother tapped her forehead. "Sure, as if you don't see Adrien all day and that cat all night."

"Maman!" Marinette groaned, wishing to disappear into the couch.

"Just don't do anything that I wouldn't do dear." Sabine said standing from the couch, moving to help Tom in the kitchen with finishing up dinner. "And definitely don't do anything that will break your heart."

Marinette took that advice to heart after dinner. She walked up to the rooftop and watched the sun setting on the horizon. Her eyes scanned the skyline, waiting for him to appear. "What are you going to do Marinette?"

She smiled down at the kwami who was lounging in the bottom of her purse. "Any suggestions?" She asked.

"Don't be too honest?" Tikki shrugged.

"Alright, any suggestions that are helpful?" Marinette teased.

Tikki floated up and tapped Marinette's chest. "Follow your heart. If your heart is happy, then does anything else matter?"

"You're perfect Tikki." Marinette cupped her kwami to her cheek before carefully setting her back in her bag.

She glanced up as Chat Noir landed on the roof across from her. He studied her for a moment. Her hair was down again, and she was no longer wearing the clothes from earlier, instead wearing a black sweatshirt and red leggings. The colors stood out from her usual arrangements of pinks, whites, and grays. He wondered if she was testing him. Chat made the last leap and landed on her railing. "You look gorgeous as ever, purrincess." He said leaning forward and kissing her. Her lips were just as soft, and she smelled just as sweet as the bakery below.

She reached up and ruffled his hair, carefully avoiding his ears as she had learned that they actually moved and had some feeling. "Thank you, chaton. Come inside? It's cold out here." She said taking his hand.

"It's my weekend to patrol, but I thought I would paw-se the patrol to come and find my beautiful girlfriend and tell her that she makes this cat absolutely happy." He said following her down into her room.

"Well, I'm glad you stopped by. Because we're not just going to sit around my room tonight." Marinette smirked.

"We, we aren't?" Chat stuttered, struck by how aware he was of all the sounds occurring nearby.

"Nope. Someone hasn't been careful enough sneaking in, so there's some people who would like to say hello. Come along." She said almost dragging him down the stairs. "Maman, Papa. He decided to come early tonight." She called. Chat Noir almost hightailed it out of there. He had no clue how they had found out, nor why Marinette was not worried about it. But when he was greeted with a tight hug from the family, he calmed down.

"It's so nice to meet you outside of your hero business, Chat Noir." Sabine said as she beamed at him. He dropped his head in respect.

"It's lovely to meet you too." He said with a smile crossing his features. Chat was surprised that no matter what side of him they saw, they still felt the same about him.

"Is there something you prefer besides Chat Noir?" Tom asked. Marinette smacked her forehead in disbelief. "What? We can't all call him chaton or kitty?"

Both Chat and Marinette turned bright red. "Tom, dear, leave them be. We can always tease them later." Sabine said touching her husbands arm.

"Oh alright," He said wrapping his arm around his wife. "You're welcome here anytime Chat.  Mask on or off. Go have fun now." Tom nodded as he and his wife went to sit on the couch.

Marinette ran back to her room at mach 1. "I'm so sorry chaton, I thought they would be less embarrassing than that. Especially since they already knew that you were here and that we were dating." She said as she slumped into her desk chair.

"It's okay, princess. Besides, I like them. They seem like great parents." Chat said as he slowly closed her door. "But, all the same, I prefer your company."

"I had an idea for tonight." Marinette said before she lost her courage.

Chat's eyes widened as he watched her carefully. She seemed nervous, and he had wanted to talk to her to see if he could prove his theory. "You already surprised me once tonight, what other surprises did you have in store?" He asked.

"Chat, do you know me outside of your mask?" The question hit him like a sack of bricks. Ladybug had thrown him far enough that he had flown miles through the air. This still hurt more than that impact though. He was unprepared, and the answer tumbled out before he was prepared to answer.

"Yes." His voice squeaked again, for the second time tonight.

"And do I know you?" She asked, cocking her a little to the side.

He swallowed and knelt down in front of her. "Why all the questions all of a sudden, Marinette?"

She sighed. "Chat Noir, I don't think I give you all that I should. You share my heart, my time, and most of all, you share me with another guy. I want to know more about you, especially when you know so much about me." She said lowering her face to her lap. She felt terrible all of a sudden. Realizing she was making this about herself. Did it really matter if Chat Noir was Adrien? He would tell her if he was right? He wouldn't pretend to be two totally different people? He had said that they would try to never be in the same room at the same time, but it had happened before, and it was supposed to be for her benefit that they wouldn't be together.

"You give me all that I need, Marinette, my princess. You give me your evenings, you give me your ideas, and you let me help you with the little things." He said taking her hand and placing his forehead on it.

"You like helping me with my homework?" She questioned.

"Of course, I enjoy all the things we do together. Even your parents embarrassing us together. But if it makes you feel better, you do know me out of the mask. And maybe one day I'll tell you, but for now, I think it's safer for you if you don't know." He said letting all of his weight lean against her. "But if you ever think that you know who I am, then you can ask me. I'll be honest with you." He looked up at her face. Her eyes shone with tears.

"Chaton, I love you." She flopped onto him and they tumbled onto the floor. Chat's heart soared with realization that she did indeed love both sides of him.

"I love you too, Marinette." He said hugging her just as tightly as he had earlier. They stayed on the ground for awhile. Chat had snatched some tissues off Marinette's desk so that she could dry away her tears while they laid there. 

"I need to study. Do you still need to patrol?" She asked. 

"If we keep the news on, we should be fine." Chat smiled, before he turned it to the local news station. They newscaster was commenting on the latest pictures of Adrien and Marinette. Chat couldn't tear his eyes away, she looked so happy. He was so happy for her.

"Oh," Marinette looked at the screen and then at Chat, surprised to see him smiling. 

"I'm glad that we both make you happy. I can change it if you want." He offered. Marinette blinked and shook her head.

"Only if you want to. I'm going to be working on literature, since that seems to be the class I'm most behind in." Marinette said. They both landed on the chaise, working through the stories quickly. Soon, Marinette's eyes weren't staying open easily. She couldn't stop yawning. She felt heavier as she leaned onto Chat. His arms grew heavy on her waist. The next thing she knew was that there was a beeping noise waking her up. The sun was beginning to peak through.

"Huh?" She muttered as she sat up. Looking down, she noticed two arms circling her waist. She looked at Chat's ring and realized he had one pad left. "CHAT!" She shouted, jumping up. She shook him and he woke up instantly.

"Marinette?" He yawned, confused as to why she was in his room.

"You have a minute to get home, kitty!" She said pointing at his hand. Reality slapped him and he jumped to his feet.

"This cat's gotta run. Love you princess, have a good day!" He yelled as he went flying through her skylight, leaving papers flying in his tracks.

"Silly cat," She smiled. She had decided it didn't matter who was under that mask. She loved Chat Noir and Adrien. No one could tell her that was wrong, especially not now that her mother knew and approved. Now she just needed to call Alya and update her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A day later than I meant to post (oops), but I was busy. I should hear back about my interview on Monday morning. I was busy scouring the internet for Frozer. Let me tell you, I have all the feels. Leave comments, kudos, and don't forget to bookmark! It fills my heart with joy every time without a doubt!


	10. It Happens

Marinette took her time getting ready. She ate breakfast in the kitchen with her dad, who acted like nothing was out of the ordinary after last night's events. He asked when the next time the boys would come over, and she told him one would probably be by sooner rather than later. She took a shower and brought Tikki some fresh cookies. And finally she picked up her phone and clicked on Alya's contact. One phone call, and her friend showed up in record time. She just about flew into Marinette's room and flopped onto her bed with her. "Spill. Now." She panted as she tried to catch her breath after sprinting the whole way here.

"Which part?"

"Beginning." Alya said sternly. Marinette handed her the hot cocoa she had already prepared as Alya ripped off her coat and boots, getting more situated on the bed.

"Well, I invited Adrien and his family over for our annual Christmas stuff. And I think I kind of invited them to spend the night as well?" Marinette tapped her chin, realizing it was from Christmas Eve to Christmas Day that she had invited them over. "And then after that, we had a lot of fun getting me able to walk correctly."

"Adrien had his work cut out for him there." Alya smirked, raising her cup to her lips.

"Hush, I've gotten less klutzy." Marinette rolled her eyes. "And then he walked me home and when he kissed me goodbye, we both admitted that we loved each other."

Marinette smiled at the memory as Alya gaped at her. "Who said it first?" She asked quickly.

"Uh, Adrien did." Marinette said sipping at her warm drink. "Why?"

"I just didn't want you to say it and have him saying it as a way to not make you upset." Alya waved her hand. "Alright, and what about when the kitty cat stopped by?"

"Well, he came by after I got home when the sun was setting. And since maman admitted that she knew he and I were an item,"

Alya almost spewed hot chocolate. "SABINE KNEW?" She shouted. She was perched forward now, one hand placed on Marinette's thigh, the other clutching her cup.

"Yes? She said that she had seen him on several times and didn't want me to hurt either of them, so that's why she brought it up. She approves of it." Marinette shrugged. She had been surprised that her mother hadn't scolded her, but she also knew that her mom loved her whether or not she approved of what Marinette did.

"Damn, that woman is full of surprises." Alya shook her head.

"Maman and Papa both are, they hugged Chat and told him to come by whenever, whether he's wearing a mask or not." Marinette smirked. She knew Chat would not visit her without a mask for quite some time, but she figured that it didn't matter. If he ever did show up without his mask, it would probably just be a visit to the bakery and she would never be any wiser. Her theories wouldn't matter, not unless he himself told her who he was.

"Damn girl, you are going to make that kitten's brain explode. Family introductions? And what do you know about him under the mask?" Alya wagged her eyebrows.

"He has soft lips, tastes like spearmint, and that he is really good at school stuff. He's the reason my grades are up in my classes again. He seems to know everything." Marinette said as she set her almost empty cup up onto the shelf above her bed. She knew that Tikki would appreciate being able to taste the rest of it before it got too cold. "And that he knows a thing or two about fashion. I've been showing him some of my designs and he is all for them."

"I would give the Ladyblog to get the black cat in the same room as your ray of sunshine boyfriend for an interview. That would make the world stop spinning for sure." Alya laughed, leaning back into the pillows.

"No doubt about it. But I like living, so let's not stop the world from spinning. Not even Ladybug and Chat Noir and Rena Rouge could save us from that." Marinette elbowed her friend in the side. Alya was clueless that Marinette knew that she was a part time superhero, but Marinette still enjoyed making her friend squirm.

"Don't forget Carapace and Queen Bee!" Alya said setting down her empty mug before tickling Marinette. The girls dissolved into a fit of giggles and relaxed into the pillows. They stared up at the ceiling and Alya sighed.

"Exams are coming. And then it's just a couple of months left before we're done with school for good. I know that you have an internship and schooling set up, but I just have to wait for my schools to respond." Alya groaned. "And I have no clue who is going to even accept me."

"The girl who runs the most popular blog in all of France is worried about who is going to accept her into journalism school? Oh Alya, you're ridiculous. Give it a month and the offers are going to be pouring into your mailbox. Scholarships and schools are going to compete for you." Marinette spoke while moving her hands about in a way that made her seem like she could picture it in front of her. 

"But even then, work girl. I can't just run blogs all day. Sure it's an income now, but what about when I decide to move out? Rent is a bitch." Alya smacked her arm over her eyes.

"We can live together," Marinette offered. "I kinda figured we would anyways, it makes rent easier." 

"You'd really do that for me?" Alya rolled over and gawked at her friend. She knew that it would be difficult to keep her other life away from Alya if they lived in the same apartment, but she had to be there for her best friend no matter what. Even if that meant Alya finding out that she was Ladybug, but maybe by then, Hawk Moth would be gone and they could live out normal lives.

"Of course! Heck, Nino could live with us if he really wanted to. But he'd have to share the rent and his part of the mess." Marinette and Alya both laughed.

"He could share my bed while Adrien shares yours, but then he and Chat would have to flip for the nights of who sleeps where." Alya grinned. Marinette blushed as she shoved a pillow into her friend's face. 

"Oh you!" She scolded as they began to have a pillow fight once more. "Wait! I didn't even get to the best part!" Marinette dropped her pillow into her lap.

"Well what are you waiting for?"

Marinette bit her lip. "Chat ended up staying until this morning. And he almost changed back in my room until I shooed him out while he was still half asleep. But he did tell me last night that he loved me. And I told him that I loved him. And I'm just really happy right now. Everything seems to be falling into place." She looked at Alya who looked ready to drop dead.

"You got to the I love you stage with both boys on the same day?" Alya whispered.

"Yeah, why?" Marinette cocked her head.

Alya gripped the bridge of her nose, "Marinette Dupain Cheng, are you daft?" Alya said slowly.

"Maybe?" Marinette said. She had no clue where her best friend was going with this.

Alya glared at her before she shook her head. "Girl, how can you be sure that Adrien and Chat aren't one in the same?" Alya asked.

"They've been seen at the same place before?" Marinette offered he own explanation for why she had stopped following that same path.

"Uh huh, while Adrien wore a motorcycle helmet? Totally could've been an impersonator. I mean, have you noticed that Chat's hair is just like Adrien's except messier?" Alya whipped her phone and pulled up the old image of Adrien Agreste with Chat's suit painted over it. "Literally, if it was messier, it would be the same."

"Right, and I'm Ladybug." Marinette rolled her eyes. Over the years, she had learned that if she sarcastically admitted it, everyone would just roll their eyes and brush off the statement. It was a new way of saying if you're this than I'm that.

"You are blind. Didn't you tell me that one of the only rules about this whole set up is that you aren't allowed to see them in the same room at the same time? That seems pretty fishy to me." Alya frowned.

Marinette could feel her blood freeze. Alya was making some really good points. "But, wouldn't he just tell me?" Marinette frowned.

"Not if he didn't want to tell you. I mean, if you were in love with someone and you were in his position, wouldn't you want that person to love both sides of you without being in danger?" Alya offered. Marinette knew exactly what she meant, but she hadn't tried to insert Ladybug into this. She was happy with both of them loving her as Marinette.

"Kinda? And he did say he knew me out of the mask." Marinette said. Alya threw her arms up in air and gave her an appalled look.

"That cat said what!" Alya yelled. 

He said that when he's a civilian, he still knows me?" Marinette said it with less sureness. Alya almost glared at her, and the next thing she knew was that Alya was tapping her screen. "What are you doing?" Marinette dug her teeth further into her lip with worry.

"Settling this." A ringing filled the air and Marinette dove for Alya's phone. She didn't know who she was calling, but a feeling in her gut said that she was calling her source like any journalist would.

"Who are you calling?" She said reaching for the phone that Alya held just out of reach. Alya had longer arms than Marinette and she rocked the game of keep-away. Marinette was wishing she had her yo-yo right about now.

"Hello?" Marinette would know that voice anywhere. Adrien's voice came straight through the phone. He sounded tired, like he wasn't quite awake yet. She hoped that Alya hadn't woken him up over this. She knew it was nothing more than a conspiracy theory on Alya's behalf. Even if she did have convincing evidence, Marinette had already talked herself out of this argument once.

Marinette's face drained. "Hey Adrien, Alya here. I'm at Marinette's and she doesn't believe me so I need an opinion on this. Care to help me out?" Alya asked, her hand planted firmly on Marinette's chest so that she couldn't reach her phone.

"Sure, what's up?" Adrien asked. Marinette couldn't almost hear him waking up more to better answer Alya's pressing question.

"Gotta be honest with me though, okay?" Alya said holding her phone closer to her face now.

"Of course, what are friends for," Adrien replied.

Alya smirked at her best friend who gave up on the pursuit and was staring at the phone, hoping that he knew what he had gotten himself into. "Adrien, are you and Chat Noir the same person?" She asked.

There was a pause. "I'm sorry, I don't think I was awake enough. Repeat that?" He asked.

"Are you Chat Noir?" Alya said clearly. Marinette swallowed.

"Um, no. Why? What did he do?" Adrien asked. "Is Mari there? Is she okay?"

"I'm fine. Alya just thought you were Chat Noir." Marinette pipped up.

Alya let go of Marinette and dropped her phone into her lap. "Can't blame a girl. You both profess your love on the same day, and you are both dating Marinette, so I had to assume." Alya shrugged. "But if you're not, you're not. See you at school tomorrow Adrien." Alya hung up before Adrien could answer. The girls went back to talking about school, but Adrien was left sitting on his bed staring at Plagg.

"I just lied to Marinette." He spoke softly.

"If you end up telling her, she'll understand. You said you would tell her if she asked. Not Alya. And technically, Alya asked." Plagg said as he shoved a piece of cheese into his mouth, "Plus, I doubt she'll remember this done the road."

"I doubt that. I have no doubt that she'll remember that. Come on buddy, let's go. I have a shoot to get to." Adrien said opening up his coat. Plagg flew into the pocket that held a bag of cheese and snuggled in. The entire way to the shoot, Adrien's mind was occupied with why Alya and Marinette would suddenly suspect him. They were right, but he couldn't tell them. Even if he did believe Marinette could be Ladybug.

"Adrien?" Nathalie tapped his shoulder. He glanced over at her, still deep in his thoughts. "We're here."

"Oh, thank you Nathalie." He smiled at her, her ring catching the corner of his eye. He felt his stomach turn as he brushed off her hand and got out of the car. He had said he was happy for them. He had congratulated them, but he still couldn't actually be happy about them. They had lied to him. Would this be how Marinette would feel when she learned that he had lied to her? He choked down the thoughts as shook his head in order to clear it. He had work to do, he would think about this later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was shorter than the others, but I haven't been able to sit down much in the last couple of days and wanted to put a chapter out in case I get a job tomorrow and have to start working again. Thanks for all of the love I have gotten from you guys! Every kudo makes me smile a little brighter and every comment makes my heart happy. Thanks for following my story!  
> Love, Emily.  
> P.S. Any comments on this chapter before the next one is posted will be given a special shoutout in the next chapter. If you leave your tumblr url's I'll also follow you on there as well!


	11. Akumas Don't Know The Meaning of The Word Weekened

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to Serenagold and LoveBug84 for commenting on Chapter 9! I appreciate you guys and everyone else who comments so much!

"Adrien?" His makeup artist turned his head so that he was facing her once again. He must have stopped paying attention again.

"Sorry, I wasn't listening, what's the matter Kate?" Adrien asked. His head felt heavy with all the thoughts he had.

"I said, you're all set to head over now," She smiled softly as she patted his cheek. Kate had been around for the last six years, and she always seemed to know when he was deep in thought so she'd let him think instead of trying to talk.

Adrien smiled back at her. "Thank you," He said as he stood up and walked over to the set. He was determined that he was going to focus and get through the rest of the day without thinking too much. But as determined as he was, he couldn't stop thinking about Marinette in the Ladybug costume all those years ago. Or the fact that she had been just as hesitant to put on the Ladybug mask as he had with putting on the Chat Noir mask. He thought about Alya calling him and asking him to be honest with her. About how she had asked him with conviction in her voice if he was Chat Noir.

His photographer sighed. "Adrien, where is your head? You seem so lost in the clouds today. I need more energy!" Adrien rolled his eyes. He knew that today was a sluggish day. "Alright, everyone take 10!"

Adrien fell back into his chair and pulled out his phone. He looked at the blank screen for a long moment, debating on why he had even pulled it out to begin with. The screen lit up and he smiled. Marinette had texted him. He opened it and his brow crinkled. "Look up?" He read the message aloud. He glanced up and he instantly saw her standing there smiling. He jumped out of his seat and raced over to her. Adrien lifted her off her feet and spun around with her in his arms.

"What are you doing here?" He asked as he set back down.

The sincere smile on his face warmed Marinette's heart. "I got a call from Nathalie. She said that you needed me here today, so I came. Is everything okay?" She asked before she placed a kiss on his cheek.

"Everything is perfect now." Adrien said giving her another hug. 

"Adrien! Is this her?" Kate said as she walked over. The blonde woman inspected Marinette with a smile. "I suspect you're Adrien's girlfriend. It's good to finally meet you." 

"Oh! It's nice to meet you too." Marinette said as Kate pulled her into a hug.

"Come with me. We've got to get you ready." Kate said taking Marinette's hand and dragging her over to Adrien's usual spot.

"Get ready for what?" Marinette said, turning her head to glance back at Adrien who was following behind.

Adrien shrugged and watched as Kate opened up her kit once again. "Surely Nathalie told you the plan, darling. Adrien has been a bit drab on set today. Vincent called and requested you came in for a few photos. That way we can get him back up to normal." Kate said as she began her work of pulling Marinette's hair out of her face.

"I- what?" Marinette spluttered. Her face reddened and she bit her lip again. Adrien swore that she was going to dig a permanent mark there with how often she did it.

Adrien smacked his hand over his face. "Oh no. Vincent," Adrien called as he went to look for the photographer.

"Did she make it?" Vincent asked peeking at Adrien.

"She did, but I don't think she's very comfortable with this. We've only begun to work on her walk for father's new line. I don't think this is the best idea." Adrien said. He could see the anxiety on her face clear as day, he didn't want to force her into something that she wasn't ready for. He knew how hard this could be for someone. He even struggled with it sometimes.

"But Adrien, don't you see? Even now the color has returned to your face and your emotions are clear once again? I think she shall be perfectly fine. Especially when you see how her and Kate are interacting." Vincent waved his hand and Adrien turned back around and a gasp left his lips at the sight.

Kate was working with Marinette and making her laugh. They looked like they had been friends for years instead of meeting just a few minutes ago. Marinette was animated as she spoke, moving her hands and smiling. "Woah." Adrien was surprised. Moments ago she had looked ready to melt into a puddle, but now she looked comfortable and relaxed.

"Don't worry, Adrien. You picked a good one." Vincent patted his shoulder and nudged him back in the direction of the women.

"So you see, even the most perfect ones make mistakes, there's no need to worry. It's just a few pictures." Kate was explaining.

"Thank you, Kate. I didn't exactly expect that this is what would happen when I showed up today." Marinette said. She wanted to tuck her hair behind her ear, but she stopped herself from messing with Kate's work.

"Wow, you look just as gorgeous as ever, Mari." Adrien smiled at her.

"Oh, thanks Adrien." Marinette smiled as Kate finished spraying her hair in place.

Kate stepped between them. "Just wait until she gets dress before you shower her with compliments. I promise, your heart will stop momentarily, Adrien." Kate said as she helped Marinette to her feet. She pulled her behind a screen and handed her a new outfit. "I can assist you if you'd like, but I figure you may want a moment alone to collect yourself." Kate said softly.

"Thank you," Marinette nodded. Kate waltzed out and folded to screen shut behind her. "Tikki?" Tikki flew out of her purse.

"You're going to be great Marinette. And especially wearing that!" Tikki exclaimed. Marinette stared at the clothes uncertainly. It was a pair of black leggings, a red sweater, and a black vest. This was not what she was usually wearing. She couldn't remember the last time she had worn a vest. She sighed and stripped out of her clothing, careful to not mess up her hair or makeup. She stumbled into the new clothes and frowned. There were no pockets and nowhere for Tikki to hide.

"Tikki, it looks like you're going to have to stay here. I doubt they'll let me wear my purse." Marinette frowned. Tikki smiled. 

"Just leave your phone and a cookie Marinette, I'll be fine." The kwami smiled. She gave Marinette's cheek a hug before floating back down to the bag. "Besides, you look pretty like that."

"Thanks Tikki," Marinette closed the bag and left her clothes sitting there. She walked out from behind the screen and Kate's eyes lit up.

"Stunning, absolutely stunning. Come along, Vincent is already set up with Adrien." Kate said as she guided Marinette across the busy staging area. A few people spared her glances, but most were too busy bustling around to pay her any attention at all. Kate guided her next to Vincent and she watched Adrien's face light up when he caught sight of her.

"There! Perfection, absolute sunshine." Vincent commented as he snapped several pictures. Adrien smirked at her and Vincent smashed his camera button as it took at least a hundred shots of that smirk. "Wonderful!" Vincent put down the camera and gave Marinette a small nod to move towards Adrien.

"Oh," She said as Kate gave her a push and she walked to Adrien.

"Follow my lead," He winked at her. She did exactly as he said. He give her small gestures for how to turn, how to smile, how to act and soon she fell into a mirroring pattern with him. It almost felt natural to be able to move this way with him. They never really fully looked at the camera unless Vincent said to. At one point, Adrien grabbed her and swept her off her feet and into his arms. They moved together like they were dancing. 

"And kiss!" Vincent said when Adrien had dipped her like they were actually dancing. She leaned up to him and they kissed while they held their pose. Time stopped for a moment, and it seemed perfect. Until the familiar siren went off. "Pack up and get out!" Vincent ordered.

"Akuma? Really?" Marinette muttered. She couldn't believe her luck. The one time she lets Tikki not be right next to her, is the one time she needs to get away.

And of course the akuma was someone who was at the shoot, because there would be no other way for it to happen? Marinette was ready to take on the akuma without Tikki. She was still wearing black and red, she could make it work. With or without the mask she was still Ladybug.

This akuma was dressed in silvers and blues. She looked ready to take down anyone in her way. The dress she wore would have looked beautiful if it was not so torn up. Her skin was a deep navy and her hair and eyes were pure silver. "Well, well, well. True love is dead, I'm here to prove it." She cackled as she blasted some people near by with a blue light. They fell to the floor, their skin turning blue.

Adrien lifted her back to her feet. "Run," He whispered. Marinette didn't have to be told twice. She knew exactly where she was heading. Unfortunately, that meant directly behind the akuma. She glanced around and ran over to jump behind a few of the light cases. She knew she would have to be quick on her feet in order to get back to Tikki.

Adrien ducked behind a wall and yanked Plagg out of his sweater that he had worn. "Plagg, claws out." He called, barely listening to the commotion outside. His transformation was quick and he ducked back out in order to look for where Marinette had dashed off to hide. His heart dropping when he spotted her. She was currently clawing at the blue hand that was holding her throat. He glared at the akuma and felt ready to take her out without Ladybug.

"Where's Adrien Agreste?" The akuma asked Marinette who just shook her head. She landed a punch to the akuma's face but she just gripped Marinette's neck a little tighter. She was kicking the akuma with everything she had, but it didn't help that she was losing air.

"Hey Frost Face, let her go." Chat Noir said as he approached the two of them. His baton was balanced across his shoulders and he was sure his eyes were a shade darker with the amount of anger inside him currently. He shouldn't have let Marinette go by herself. He should have just told her that he was Chat Noir and been done with it, because now she was in danger because of Adrien, not even Chat Noir.

"My name is Devastator. And I'm here to make Adrien Agreste pay for his father's arrogance." The akuma grinned. "But first, his sweetheart can have a taste of how dead true love is." Chat could have killed his father at this point, he couldn't believe how many akumas he had created because of his arrogance.

"No!" He called throwing his baton, but Devastator pressed her other hand to Marinette's chest. Marinette's eyes widened as her skin turned blue and she collapsed. Chat leaped at the akuma as his baton struck home. The metal collided with her chest and she went flying across the room. "Oh Marinette," He frowned gathering up her and his baton. She was limp in his arms, but she still had a pulse. He saw a flurry of blue to the left of him and dodged a blast of energy, leaving her on the ground.

"Stay still kitty, I can make you and Ladybug suffer the same fate as Adrien and Marinette. No love will survive." Devastator called. Chat flipped out of her reach and landed behind  a stack of cases. What had his father done to make this woman so angry about love.

"Come on Ladybug, I need you." He whispered, praying she would show up any minute. Devastator leaped over the cases and stared at him with her eerie eyes. He took a breath and tried to come up with a plan.

"Here kitty, kitty, just a touch is all I need." She said leaning forward. She could have hit him with a blast, but she was arrogant enough to make this personal. Chat glanced around and decided up was the only way to go. He crashed through the skylight and landed on the frozen roof top.

"Shit, shit, shit," He yelped as he began to slide down the sharp slope. He leaped forward and fell off the roof and into a snow pile. "Winter," He spat. He had officially decided this was his least favorite season. He knew he had to find Ladybug and fast. He wasn't sure what the akuma had done to Marinette or what she was going to do to everyone else inside, but he decided he wasn't going back in without his partner. So he got out of the snow pile and waited. He had waited a full ten minutes before getting anxious. She always showed up, and usually sooner than this.

"Claws in," He muttered. Plagg stared at him.

"Adrien?" He asked.

"I have a feeling that she's not coming this time." Adrien's heart sank at his words. His theory of Marinette being Ladybug would explain his partners absence. He swallowed and shook his head. "We need to go see Master Fu." Plagg slipped inside of Adrien's sweater again and they took off across Paris.

Upon their arrival, the door flew open. "Chat Noir, it's about time that you showed up." Master Fu said closing the door behind them.

"Master, I have a feeling that Ladybug isn't coming." Adrien said softly as Plagg escaped from the fabric once again to say hello to Wayzz.

"Well you're right about that." A smaller high pitched voice came from behind Master Fu. A red kwami with black spots appeared in front of him. "Nice to meet you Adrien, I'm Tikki."

"You're Ladybug's kwami." Adrien swallowed harshly, staring at her.

"Yes I am, and unfortunately, Ladybug is unavailable." Tikki frowned. Plagg almost tackled her out of thin air.

"Tikki!" He shouted as they tumbled onto the floor.

"What does this mean, Master?" Adrien asked.

Master Fu sighed. "It means, that you're going to have to do what she has done in the past." The older gentleman walked over to the phonograph that sat on a chest of drawers. It flew open and revealed a box inside. Master Fu walked it back to Adrien and opened it. He gasped as drawers and the lid flew open to produce many miraculouses.

"Wow." Adrien muttered. "What am I supposed to do?"

Master Fu sighed. "Without Ladybug, it will be difficult, but I need you to return the Fox, the Bee, and the Turtle to those who have been entrusted with them previously. It is time that we bring you all together to fight Hawk Moth. I'm afraid he is only growing more dangerous. It is better that we bring him down sooner rather than later." Master Fu said.

"Master," Wayzz flew up to his face and looked ready to cry.

"It is time, my friend. We knew this would happen sooner or later, but with Ladybug indisposed, we need all of you to help Chat Noir." Master Fu gave his friend a hug. "I will give you a list with who is to receive which miraculous, but Chat Noir, this time, there will be no collecting of the kwamis. I am trusting you to make sure they understand and that they are ready to assist at any moment. But I am also entrusting you with their identities." Master Fu explained as he pulled off his bracelet and placed it into a box. "Goodbye old friend."

He handed Adrien a black bag that held the three miraculouses and a note with the names. "Master," He started to say.

"I understand you're anxieties. Take Tikki with you. She will be able to assist." Master Fu patted his back. "I will await yours and Ladybugs visit after you save Paris again today." Adrien nodded and transformed back into Chat Noir.

"Ready, Tikki?" He asked as he re-balanced the bag on his shoulder.

"Let's go!" Tikki replied as she burrowed into his neck. Chat jumped from the window and made his way to the first location on the list. He knew that Alya would be at the scene of the action, so he headed to Nino's first. It was a hard lump to swallow when he realized that his friends were all entrusted with miraculouses, but he knew that Ladybug had made the right choice before. Landing at his friend's bedroom window was a weird feeling. He had never been here as Chat Noir. He never thought he would either. He watched his friend as he scribbled something on his school tablet. He knocked on the window and Nino's head turned towards him.

The window flew open and Chat climbed inside. "Nino Lahiffe, you were previously Carapace, and now Paris needs you once again. This time, you will keep the miraculous and help us take down Hawk Moth. Do you choose to accept?" Chat asked as he pulled the box from his bag and handed it to him.

"Woah, dude, where's Ladybug?" Nino asked as he took the box.

"She- she's not going to be able to help this time." Chat said frowning. Tikki flew from her hiding spot.

"Ladybug isn't able to help yet, but I'll be here until she can." Tikki smiled.

"Woah! Alright dude. You've got it." Nino flashed a smile and opened up the box, releasing Wayzz who smiled sadly.

"Good to see you again Nino. I believe we have some work to do." Wayzz said.

"You're right little dude, Wayzz, shell on!" And next thing Chat Noir knew was that instead of his best friend, there stood Carapace.

"Awesome. Meet me at the docks. I have a few more stops to make. But we can all gather there." Chat said as he stepped from the window.

"Chat, I promise, we'll save Paris!" Carapace smiled.

"I know. Now let's go!" Chat leaped and headed towards the very familiar hotel that he knew Chloe would be hiding in. Landing on the roof, he had planned to go down to her room, but he spotted her hiding off in a corner.

"Chloe Bourgeois?" He said as he approached her from behind. She glanced up at him and frowned.

"What do you want Chat Noir?" She asked, no venom in her voice, but she did look a little upset.

Chat smiled. "I have a proposition. Paris needs more heroes, especially right now. I'm here to ask you to take on Queen Bee permanently until Hawk Moth is rid of Paris. Are you willing to help us?" He asked as he held out her box. She looked down at it and back up to him before taking it and opening it up to reveal Pollen.

"My queen!" Pollen said as she crashed into Chloe.

"You mean it? We can stay together?" She asked.

"Of course. Ladybug is unable to help us right now. Her kwami is here to help us, but I need you to transform and meet me at the docks. I have one more person to grab." Chat smiled at Chloe. He knew Ladybug had made a good choice in letting Chloe make up after being Queen Wasp, he was trusting that this would make Chloe into a better person.

"Wait, where is she?" Chloe asked, looking concerned.

"We, we don't know. She just can't help us this time." Chat nodded at her.

"Let's kick this akuma's ass. Pollen, buzz on!" A flash of yellow and there stood Queen Bee, ready to kick ass. 

Chat Noir dove off the roof and aimed back towards the studio that they had rented out near the docks. Sure enough, he found Alya creeping around a corner, probably hoping to catch sight of the heroes landing. "Alya Cesaire. Care to make a deal with the devil?" Chat joked as he landed behind her and pulled out the last box.

"Is he funnier than you?" Alya smirked. The grin dropped when she realized he was alone. "Where's Ladybug?" She asked.

"Paris needs you and Rena Rouge. Ladybug is unable to help us right now. I have your miraculous, and once you take it, it will be yours to keep. We need everyone to help defeat Hawk Moth. Are you ready to help?" Chat asked as he held out the box.

Alya looked down at it and back to him. "Are you really sure about this, Adrien?" Alya pressed.

He looked at her for a long moment. He knew what she was doing. He knew what she was asking. "Plagg, claws in." He said as he let his transformation fall.

"You got me Alya. Now realize, I'm doing things this way on purpose. I can't let her get put in danger because of my being Chat Noir. If anyone else knows, it could hurt her. Besides, I wanted her to love me, all of me. So please, don't be angry with me." Adrien explained, holding her box out a little further.

"I understand Adrien. Just don't ever try to lie to me again, understood?" Alya asked as she swiped the box from his hand. Adrien nodded as he passed Plagg some cheese. "Now where did you hide Marinette?" She said as she snapped open the box and released Trixx.

"Alya!" Trixx squealed.

"Let's pounce," Alya said without a moment to lose. Her transformation was a burst of orange and there stood Rena Rouge. 

Adrien took a breath, "I wasn't fast enough. Devastator knocked her out cold and turned her blue."

Tikki peeked out and waved at Alya. "Hi Rena. We are going to need you to make a Ladybug mirage to play keep away with the akuma. I'll help you to keep it longer, so no worries." Tikki said.

"Are you her kwami?" She asked.

Tikki nodded and flew over to hide in Rena's hair. "I'll stay with Rena to help her, let's go. We have to save Marinette and Paris." Tikki said impatiently.

"Let's go!" Rena took off. Adrien quickly transformed once again and followed her lead. He was going to owe Plagg so much cheese after this. He hoped that Marinette was okay and that Tikki could help them until Ladybug could save them. He had help, and he hoped that would be all he would need to take down Devastator.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, real story, I got the callback today about the job, and I got it! I start tomorrow morning at 9 and will be working 40+ hours a week. Long story short, that will not leave a whole lot of room for writing. My plan is to bust out a couple more chapter rough drafts before I go to bed and then I can edit them through out the week and do evening postings when I have time. Thank you guys so much for your love and support, I can't wait for you to see where this story goes!


	12. Chat To The Rescue (And The Rest of Team Miraculous Too)

Rena Rouge and Chat Noir landed on the docks just in time to see Queen Bee cross her arms and Carapace roll his eyes. "Dude, thank god you're here." And then Carapace's eyes found Rena Rouge and he frowned. Chat crossed his paws that they wouldn't recognize each other right this moment, otherwise there would either be flirting or anger, and he wasn't sure he wanted to witness either. 

"Alright, Devastator is inside that studio building." Chat pointed towards the warehouse building and everyone's gazes followed. "She has hostages and has more than likely already taken them out. She makes them turn blue and pass out."

"Did she say why?" Queen Bee pointed out. Carapace sighed and Rena Rouge rolled her eyes at him.

Chat Noir knew that getting them in there without killing each other was going to be like herding cats, so it was just plain lucky that he was the leader here. "Yes, she said it was because true love needs to die because of Gabriel Agreste. She went after Adrien Agreste and his girlfriend Marinette Dupain-Cheng." Chat said as he heard Rena cough and possibly say  _yours_. He decided to ignore that. 

Tikki flew out into the open. "Rena and I are going to create a Ladybug illusion. Carapace, we need you and Queen Bee to distract and get closed in on Devastator. Queen Bee, try to sting her if you get the opening, Carapace, throw a shield over Marinette if you get the chance. Chat, you know what to do." Tikki stared deeply at him and he nodded.

"Destruction is my specialty." He grinned before he cracked his knuckles.

Tikki shook her head before she flew close and whispered in his ear. "She's killing true love, kiss her and it may break the spell so that Marinette can get to safety."

His cheeks burned and he nodded at the kwami. "Gotcha."

"What are we going to do if we break her object?" Carapace asked.

"Leave that to me," Tikki said as she dove back into Rena's hair. Chat glanced around at the group. Rena was gripping her flute, Carapace was flexing his hands, and even Queen Bee looked ready to go with her top rolling between her hands.

"Let's roll." Chat said, placing his baton on the ground and heading for the skylight he had broke through earlier. With one jump, he managed to go straight through and land directly in front of Devastator. "I believe you were looking for me." 

Devastator had a purple outline on her face that quickly vanished. "Give me your miraculous!" She shouted as she threw a blue bolt of light at him. Chat Noir jumped out the way and rolled to the side.

"I hate to break it to you, but true love isn't the only way to win a fight. Friends can be pretty useful too." Chat said as the image of Ladybug and Rena Rouge dove through the skylight. Next came Carapace followed by Queen Bee. Team Miraculous was here and reporting for duty.

"I heard you were looking for me." Ladybug said. Her voice was clear as day to everyone, but it seemed a little off to Chat. Maybe he could tell the difference between the illusion and the real deal because of all the time that they had spent together.

Devastator charged up again and threw another blue blur at Ladybug who moved out of the way just in time. "I will take the love that you and Chat Noir have and destroy it. I will destroy all of the world's love so that they all feel like me!"

"Girl, you need some serious anger management sessions." Rena said as she slammed her flute into the akuma, sending her reeling backwards.

Carapace tripped the akuma. "Seriously dude."

Queen Bee lifted her top, "Venom!" She shouted before bringing it back down. But the akuma was fast, she kicked Queen Bee's legs out from under her and the venom dot landed on Carapace instead. Chat was left watching the chaos and had to shake his head in order to focus again. He ran over to Marinette and dragged her out of the way. 

"I hope this works." He said before he pressed his lips to hers. Slowly her skin faded back to normal and she gasped.

"Chaton!" She said gripping him tight. "Where's Adrien?"

"He got away, he found me and I came as soon as I could. Now get out of here, I have to help the others take down Devastator." He said helping her up and pushing her out the door.

"The others?" She asked, looking concerned.

"Go Marinette!" He yelled as he slammed the doors and looked back towards the rest of the team. Carapace was still frozen in place, he looked a little more angry than surprised now. Queen Bee had her top wound around Devastator and the Ladybug mirage had disappeared. Rena wasn't in his direct line of sight. Chat Noir ran back towards them. 

"Chat Noir! Quick, it's in her pen!" Queen Bee pointed towards the akuma's hair, where in her bun sat a pen.

"No!" Devastator screamed. She turned so that her hand was facing Queen Bee and zapped her. Soon Queen Bee's skin turned blue and she dropped to the ground as her miraculous beeped. Chat could hear it from across the room. He spotted Rena in the corner who lifted her flute to her lips. The room shifted and suddenly they looked like they were outside on an ice rink. Chat knew that Rena was good, but he didn't realize how good.

He dove for Devastator as she freed herself from Queen Bee's top. She turned and grabbed him by the hair and held him at arm's length which was just far enough that he could reach her pen. "Where did you hide Adrien Agreste?"

"I'm not telling you lady," He said reaching for her hair.

Devastator glared. "Fine, if you won't tell me, I'll find him myself!" Chat grabbed his baton and tried to hit her with it but she threw it across the room. "Naughty cats get nothing but a broken heart." She reached out as her hand turned blue.

Chat's heartbeat was all that he could hear. It felt like time had slowed down as he glanced around. He had failed without his partner by his side. Her kwami had done all she could to help them. Rena's illusions had to be spent, Carapace was still out of commission because of Queen Bee who was laying motionless on the floor. And he had no way to defend himself from the impact.

"LUCKY CHARM!" He heard Tikki yell. A rush of pink exploded around the room. Rena's illusion vanished, Queen Bee was on her feet, looking completely fine, Carapace was up with his shield ready. And there floated Tikki, holding a mason jar. "Now Chat!" 

"Cataclysm!" He yelled. His hand glowed black and he managed to snatch the pen and let it crumble to dust in his hand. Tikki threw him the jar and he caught the akuma before it could fly away and wreck more havoc. "Thank you Tikki."

"I have to get back to Ladybug!" She shouted as she flew out of the room at mach 1.

"Good job guys." Chat Noir congratulated his teammates.

"Now what?" Rena asked, hands on her hips.

Chat blinked. "Go home and rest up. Ladybug and I usually patrol on Mondays and Fridays, so we can decide a better schedule and plan then." He suggested.

Carapace and Queen Bee both seemed to be in agreement, but Rena spoke up once more. "Not gonna work for me boy. I already know you under that mask, but how are we supposed to trust each other?" She looked at the others. Chat stopped. He and Ladybug had always hid their identities and while he had wanted to tell her, over the years he had begun to understand why they couldn't. And now that he thought Ladybug could be Marinette, he wasn't sure how to feel. But he didn't think this was a good idea.

"As if you don't already know who I am?" Queen Bee flipped her hair.

Chat rolled his eyes. "The whole world knows who you are."

"Well, I see Rena's point dude. You and Ladybug know who we all are, so how can we trust each other when not all of us know the truth." Carapace pointed out. "And how are we supposed to trust that the two of you don't actually know who each other are."

Chat blinked, no answer to give them. Just as he was wishing Ladybug was here, a red blur fell from the ceiling. "Are you okay, ma'am?" Ladybug asked as she settled next to the deakumatized victim. The woman nodded and Chat instantly recognized her as Kate. He hadn't realized that she had feelings for his father. He would have never known. He wondered what had caused her to become so angry with Gabriel that she had been akumatized.

"I'm just embarrassed. I mean, I never wanted to hurt anyone. I was just upset." She spoke quietly.

"You need to go home and relax." Ladybug handed her a card. "This is a counselor that I've met with and he's pretty good with helping other victims. If you ever want to talk, you can go to him." Ladybug helped her to her feet and walked her to the door. The rest of the team stared in awe. The doors shut and Ladybug stared at the doors for a minute. It stretched to three minutes before Queen Bee spoke up.

"Ladybug! Where were you?" Queen Bee shouted.

She turned around and Chat felt like running for the hills. The anger that burned in her eyes was unlike anything he had ever seen. She looked ready to storm the gates of hell and burn it down. "I leave you alone for an hour. One full hour. With my kwami no less, and now we have 5 citizens of Paris holding miraculouses, an akumatized victim had to witness your bickering, and most of all, there's still an akuma flitting around in a fucking jar!" Ladybug pointed at the jar Chat was holding. She threw her yo-yo and smashed it before she snatched the akuma up and purified it. They all watched in awe as it fluttered through the broken skylight. "Miraculous Ladybug!" She called, everything going back to normal. Everything except for her scornful gaze.

Ladybug shook her head at all of them. Then her eyes met Chat Noir's and her grimace softened for a moment. "Let's go." She said leading them out the doors. They all walked out after her. "Midnight, Eiffel Tower. You can either show up, or leave your miraculous with me now. I know where you all live, and if I have to hunt you down, I will." Everyone nodded before leaving. Chat noted that not a single one paired up with another upon their departure.

"I'm sorry, Ladybug." Chat said staring at her. He meant it too, he had broken her trust, almost unable to defeat one akuma without her help. He didn't know what else to say.

"I forgive you Chat, but please, next time, don't let them all go in at once. They're not like us, they're not ready to face the evil we face everyday. We'll have to work with them since they're all going to stick around. I can't promise that I won't disappear like that ever again, but if I do, you need to be ready. I have to go." She touched his cheek and smiled softly. "We need to go see Master Fu soon too. We have things to discuss."

"Thank you." He said grabbing her hand and squeezing it. "You're the best partner I could ever ask for."

"Of course. Thank you for doing everything you could." She smiled before running around the building. Marinette transformed back and let Tikki hide in her vest before running to the doors again.

"Adrien!" She called, crashing into him at full speed. She wasn't even sure that he had caught sight of her yet, since he seemed to be glancing around like he was looking for her.

"Mari! I was so worried about you! I thought I had lost you in all of that!" He said as they laid on the ground, Marinette on top of Adrien.

"Never! I'm sorry that I didn't run fast enough! Chat saved me." She said as tears filled her eyes. She had laid there, not really able to take in any of her surroundings until Chat had kissed her. She couldn't move, and it felt like her brain had been put through a blender when she had first come through.

Adrien reached up and pulled her down to him. "I'll never let you run away on your own again." He yanked her in a needy kiss until they heard the sound of a camera shutter and jumped apart.

"What? You can't help but take pictures of true love." Vincent said from the doors as he looked at the pair who were still both on the ground. Marinette laughed as Adrien helped her back up.

"I guess that's a good point. Can you make sure we get copies of these Vincent?" Adrien asked as he pulled Marinette into his side.

Vincent pressed a hand over his heart. "It would be an honor. I'll send prints and digitals as soon as I decide on what to send to your father." Vincent chuckled. "But for now, the shoot is over. Go have a good evening." He said shutting the door behind himself.

"My clothes and bag are still in there." Marinette said walking forward to go get them.

Adrien opened the door and let her walk through. They went to their changing areas together and gathered their things. "Marinette, you should wear that back. It's warm and we're going to go out for a bit if you don't mind."

She looked at him in surprise. She knew she had homework, but she figured if Chat stopped by, he could help her. "Sure thing." She smiled. She wanted some time to process everything anyways. She had never been affected by an akuma and she wasn't sure how to feel about being so weak at that moment. Marinette had stood up to the akuma in an attempt to protect Adrien and get back to Tikki. She had thought she would be strong enough, but she didn't have her yo-yo, or anything else that she could use to protect herself.

How bright she was after being attacked by an akuma warmed Adrien's very soul, she didn't look like she was struggling at all. He couldn't believe how amazing she could be. Even when times were dark, Marinette still had her smile. And he loved it just as much as he loved her. He was in awe of the woman he was dating. She could stand up to his father, to akumas, even Chloe. She was amazing.

They ended up at a coffee shop that was down the street and sat inside, chatting for awhile as they warmed up. About an hour in, they had both finished their coffee and it was beginning to snow outside once again. "Thank you Adrien." Marinette said as they walked out and back towards her home, hand in hand. Snow drifted through the air softly, some landing in Marinette's dark hair.

"You're welcome, love." He said smiling down at her. They walked in silence until Marinette sighed. "What's the matter?" He asked.

"I've had an awesome day, but I have to study and finish up a project for school. I've been doing better, but jeez, I just can't seem to catch up. And with exams? Psh, I'm screwed," Marinette dropped her head back. She felt like no matter how hard she worked at it, she would never catch back up.

Adrien thought for a moment. "I have my stuff with me. Want me to come back with you and help?" He offered. He knew that she needed help with understanding physics, but that she probably had no clue that he and Chat were at the same knowledge level on their school subjects.

"You'd do that for me?" She asked. She sounded genuinely surprised. He wished he could just kneel down and say that he'd give the world, but he figured she wouldn't take that very well.

"Anything for you." He smiled.

They arrived at the bakery and chatted with Tom and Sabine downstairs before heading up to work on homework in Marinette's room. They sprawled out on the floor with a plate of cookies. Soon there were flashcards scattered, tablets low on battery, and books opened to various pages with tests skewed across them. Adrien had his head in Marinette's lap while he read to her the different theories that she needed to memorize. She ran her fingers through his hair as she repeated them back to him. Adrien realized after awhile that she was avoiding the areas where his ears where when he was Chat Noir. He wondered if she had realized it. He glanced out the window and realized it was getting dark out. He knew where he needed to be at midnight, but he had things at home to do before then.

"I think I should get going Mari." He said as he looked up at her. Her eyes weren't on him. She looked lost in thought as she stared at a blank wall.

"So soon?" She frowned before she glanced out the window. "Oh, I guess it's been awhile. I just understand things better when you read them. They sound better." 

He laughed and sat up. "Do they now?" He asked, grinning at her.

"Of course, you make everything sound pretty." She complimented him. Every once in awhile she would still stammer around him, but he liked being able to compliment her without her entire body turning a deep crimson while she tried to figure out what to say in response.

"Why thank you, my darling." He smirked up at her. He sat up and had planned to turn back to her but she jumped onto his back, wrapping her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck.

"I love you, Adrien." She whispered, her face pressed into his shoulder.

He wanted to hold her close and whisper in her ear, but he settled for just turning his head enough to see her out of the corner of his eye. "I love you too." He shut his eyes and held her wrists her they overlapped for a moment. Sitting here, he could forget he was Chat Noir. He could forget that he had almost lost Marinette and messed everything up. If it hadn't been for Ladybug, he could have messed everything up for the world. He had been close to near destruction. That was why he always needed Ladybug by his side. The Yin to his Yang.

Marinette slowly unwrapped her arms from around his neck. "Thank you for helping me. Do you want me to walk home with you?" She smiled softly.

"Nah," He turned and kissed her forehead. "But you can walk me to the door." 

They slowly packed up all of their school stuff. Marinette tossed the flashcards she had made up onto her desk and shoved the rest of her things into her backpack. Adrien neatly put his tablet and his books back into his bag. They walked downstairs and stopped in the kitchen where Marinette's parents were cooking dinner. "Are you heading home? We're making dinner and you're welcome to stay." Sabine offered.

"I'd love to, but my father hasn't seen me since the attack and I need to talk to Nathalie about my schedule for this week." Adrien walked around the counter and hugged her. "Thank you for the offer."

"Any time, son. You're always welcome here." Sabine hugged him back tightly, before letting him go. Tom yanked him into a hug next.

"Day or night, come on over. Marinette won't mind," Tom said in a joking tone. Adrien knew he meant it though.

"Papa," Marinette said. It came out a lot kinder sounding than she meant it to, but she was touched by how well her parents had taken to both Adrien and Chat Noir. It made her feel complete knowing that they would allow either over whenever.

"Of course. She may mind if I just come over to hang out with you guys though." Adrien laughed as he was let go of. Sabine and Tom were both smiling as they busied themselves with cooking once again. 

Adrien blinked and could almost see it being himself and Marinette instead. He smiled at that idea, and walked to the stairwell. He debated for a moment, but scooped her into his arms as she yelped before he carried her down the stairs. "Sorry, couldn't resist." He smirked.

"Guess those muscles aren't just for show." Marinette stuck her tongue out at him.

He crinkled his nose, "Of course not, who do you think I am? A fake?"

"Never. You're the realest person I know." She said smiling up at him. Marinette meant it. Since she had started dating Adrien and seeing more to him than she had before, he was the most real person she knew. He had more emotions than any guy she knew. And while it had broke her heart to see him cry, it had also solidified that he was real, here, and hers.

Once they reached the bottom, he set her back on her feet and kissed her softly. "Goodnight, I'll see you in the morning." Adrien dragged his fingers across her jaw as he stepped back.

"Goodnight. Let me know that you get home safely." Marinette let her fingers run along his arm as he stepped away further. It was always hard to say goodbye, even when she knew she would see Chat Noir soon, but she never wanted to say goodbye to either of them.

She stayed in the doorway and watched him become a shadow in the dusk. And then the snow fall swallowed his silhouette. Only when she was sure she couldn't see him anymore, did she close the door. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good news, I have a new job and I love it.  
> Bad news, I have a new job and I love it, but I always want to crawl into bed when I get home even though I want to write.  
> Better news, I have the best boyfriend ever. He took me to dinner and then to the bookstore and bought me a new book while I was busy catching up on this. So you guys should seriously appreciate that boys efforts on helping me do the things I love.  
> Anyways, I finally got around to responding to all of your wonderful comments! I love reading all your thoughts, and I totally understand the confusion. So let me be clear: THEY MAY SUSPECT THEY KNOW, BUT THEY DON'T. They have no clue who is who, they just have ideas. Will they be mad or happy in the end? Who knows, but you will find out. Just stick with me, I PROMISE YOU WON'T TOTALLY HATE ME, MAYBE!  
> Love love love you guys! Enjoy!


	13. Star Light, Star Bright, The First Star that I See Tonight

Marinette washed dishes and stared out the kitchen window. The first star was shining bright in the sky, and it made her pause in her motions. She had done so much under the night sky, yet she never felt like she got enough time to appreciate the true beauty of it. A hand landed on her shoulder and she resumed what she had been doing. "Thank you, Marinette, but you've done enough tonight. Go study," Her mom squeezed her shoulder.

"Thanks Maman, I think I'll be heading to bed afterwards." Marinette faked a yawn as she strolled towards the stairs. With a second thought she turned back and looked at her parents. "I love you guys." She smiled at them.

Her mother noticed that the smile seemed almost sad. "We love you too Marinette. We're so proud of you." Sabine said, blowing her daughter a kiss. She knew that she was 18 now, and soon she would be graduating and heading to university. Which meant soon, her daughter would be moving out of the house. And on top of all that stress, her daughter was dating two men that she cared about very much. Sabine knew what toll her daughter was taking on, she would make sure to bake something extra special for Marinette's lunch tomorrow.

What Sabine didn't notice, was her daughter's light turned off sooner than normal, and a red figure flew from the roof top before dipping in between the rooftops. Sabine knew a lot, but she still didn't know about her daughter's double life.

Ladybug found herself opening her yo-yo and pressing on Chat's contact information. She hit call and lifted it to her ear. She didn't know what she was going to say when it went to voicemail, but she definitely wanted to talk to him. So when he answered, she was even more surprise. "Ladybug?" He sounded surprised.

"Oh, Chat, hi. I was just going to ask if you could meet me when you transformed." Ladybug stuttered out.

She could hear Chat Noir chuckled on the other end. "Sure thing, where?" He asked. She could almost see the cat now, leaning on a wall and messing up his hair as he spoke.

Ladybug glanced around. "How about the Pont de Arts?" She offered as she spotted the bridge beneath her.

"I'll be there in a meow-no-second." Chat said. "Alright, that one was just in poor taste, I take it back. I'll be there soon."

"Meow-ch." Ladybug teased as she hung up. She jumped and rolled as she landed on the ground. She chose a bridge to sit on that was pretty much dead center of the bridge. As she sat, she debated on turning back for just a moment. She knew that this talk needed to be with Ladybug, but she wished she could be honest with him. It was difficult being two people. Especially when one side of her was dating Chat Noir.  She glanced back up and found the star once again. It was still the only one in the sky.

Ladybug didn't move when she sensed Chat sit next to her. "You know, I used to wish upon that star." He whispered.

"What did you wish for?" She asked.

Chat snorted. "I used to wish that you'd see me as more than your partner. But now? I, I think I have everything I could ask for. Except maybe one or two things, but those aren't too important to me." He shrugged the last part off.

"I," Ladybug started. "I used to wish that this guy would notice me. The real me. And then over time, that wish got replaced by wishing the Hawk Moth would give up and go away, or that he'd come to his senses and hand over his miraculous. Now I just wish that I could get through the last bits of school without dying." It was nice to be able to get things off her chest to Chat. It was weird saying it when she was Ladybug, but he was still her friend when she was Ladybug.

"Me too." He said softly. He scooted closer and put his hand on her shoulder. "But I don't think you brought me out here so that we could talk about wishing stars."

"Smart kitty," Ladybug whispered. She turned towards him and gave him the same sad smile she had given her parents less than an hour ago.

They looked at each other in silence. "You know why we can't tell each other our identities, right?" Ladybug finally said breaking the silence.

"In case Hawk Moth gets a hold of one of us and tortures us?"

"And so that we don't slip up. What if I called you by your civilian name instead of Chat Noir when we were dealing with the public?" Ladybug fiddled with her yo-yo. She didn't like serious conversations in all honesty. She didn't like the feeling of responsibility pressing down on her shoulders. She wished she could be as carefree as she felt when she went flying down the streets.

"Then I'd ask if you were seeing straight," He smirked, but it faded quickly. "I know why. I don't like it though. I wish I could be honest with you. I feel like only you and my girlfriend know the real me."

Ladybug stopped. "You have a girlfriend?" She asked, trying to keep her voice sounding surprised. She was not a good actress, but she knew Chat Noir hadn't mentioned this fact to her before.

He smiled and looked up at the sky. "She's as bright as that star. She's my princess. I call her that, but only because I believe it's true. I love her. I'd do anything for her." Ladybug blushed and looked away so that he wouldn't see.

"That's really sweet of you Chat." 

Chat Noir looked away from the navy blue sky and back at his partner in spots. He could usually see very well at night, but he wasn't able to tell if she was blushing or not under her mask. "What about you? Did that boy you wished for ever come around?" He asked.

"Eventually. It was a kinda messy start honestly, but everything fell together in the end." She smiled, she couldn't tell him much since it would give away who she was if she did. She wished she could just ramble on about Chat and Adrien to Chat for the entire evening, but that wouldn't work out well in the end.

"Does he treat you right?" Chat asked. The question surprised her, she wasn't expecting Chat to ask her that.

She just nodded. She wanted to correct him and say they both did, but that would tip him off. She didn't even know how he would react if he ever found out who she was under the mask. "Chat, I was wrong for being mad earlier. I should have understood why you did what you did, but suddenly seeing everyone in one room? They weren't ready. Rena is the only one who has used her miraculous multiple times. Queen Bee and Carapace though? They weren't prepared."

"I know, but I asked Master Fu what to do and he said it was time. He also said it was time to take down Hawk Moth and that's why they're keeping their miraculous. He wants to see us soon." Chat said as he took his hand back from his partner's shoulder.

"I figured that was what had happened after I had time to think. But I was scared because I didn't have control. And I was angry because of that. I, hmm." Ladybug stopped and blinked back tears. "I should've trusted you. I'm sorry that I didn't."

"I forgive you." Chat smiled at her. He hadn't taken her anger seriously. He had noticed it and thought that it was because of the victim, but her rage had been uncontrolled, she had lashed out at him when she smashed the jar. He knew that something had to be wrong, but he just hadn't known what.

Ladybug nodded. "I know you do. You always do. So forgive me again when I bring this up." She stood up and walked to the railing. 

As Ladybug leaned her back against the railing, Chat Noir realized he wanted it to be Marinette standing there. It might be for all he knew, but he couldn't be sure. When he had stopped by earlier to say hello, she had been washing dishes, so he had gone to speak to Alya about earlier. She had been pretty smug until he told her that if she slipped up, Ladybug would be just as mad at her as she would be with Chat. She had wanted to talk to him about a lot of things, but then he had gotten Ladybug's call and took off. "I want to open up the investigation of Gabriel Agreste being Hawk Moth again." Chat's heart dropped at her words.

"Why?" That was the only word he could form. They had gone down this path several times.

Ladybug pressed her lips into a thin line. "Because, it makes sense. Getting akumatized? Perfect cover. He causes the largest majority of them! Almost 43% of akumas are because of Gabriel Agreste. Even Chloe causes only about 18%." Ladybug crossed her arms as Chat stood and walked until he was directly in front of her.

"And how many have you yourself caused?" Chat asked. "Because as far as I know, I have not caused more than 1."

Ladybug bit her tongue. They had been on the same path until now. "I know, but it all seems to come back to him. Besides, I think he has a secret lair in his home. That place is huge and he's never seen, it would be easy for him to disappear in there without anyone noticing. Chat, please, I don't want to do this alone."

Chat Noir had never heard Ladybug beg for anything in their entire time of being partners. Never once. "Okay, we can reopen it, but keep me in the loop." He said as he felt his heart rip in half. He didn't want to believe her, he didn't want it to be true. He figured that once his father had been akumatized, he had been safe, but then again, he had seen Queen Bee akumatized. He himself had almost been akumatized.

Ladybug looked over his face for a moment. He was serious, and she was shocked. "Thank you for trusting me on this."

"I trust you on everything. Just like I trust that you are going to know what to do when we get to the Eiffel Tower." He laughed.

"Fuck," Ladybug smacked her forehead. "I was all threatening before and now I have nothing to go off of. I'm going to look like an idiot." 

"Did you just say fuck? The great Ladybug says fuck?" Chat was shocked. He had heard her swear a little bit when things got rough, but never like this.

"Oh hush, everyone says it. Now let's start heading that direction, we both know they're going to all show early to try to impress us." Ladybug jumped up onto the rails and took Chat's hand, helping him up so that they stood together above the Seine. She was too busy staring into his eyes that she didn't hear the camera shutter go off behind her. 

Ladybug and Chat Noir leaped into the night, swinging through the sky. Chat beat her to the Eiffel Tower, but Ladybug was too busy letting go of her worries. She knew one day she would tell Chat who she really was. And that Adrien would know one day too, but until that happened, she was strong and she could do this. She had her partner, and she had her boyfriends on top of having some of the best friends a girl could ask for. Ladybug soon realized her and Chat were the last ones to the party. 

The three other miraculous holders turned and took in the pair. Rena Rouge was smirking, Carapace had his arms crossed in front of him, while Queen Bee had her hands on her hips. "About time," the three chorused.

"They totally planned that." Chat and Ladybug both said as they looked at each other. There was a moment glance between them and they both knew what was going to happen.

Ladybug stepped forward and threw her arms around all three of them. "Thank you guys for agreeing to this. I'm sorry about earlier, but you did well for it being your first time working together. I'm sure you'll only get better as we work together more." They were stunned by her words.

Rena was the first to pull away. "Hold up, we talked before you got here." The others both pulled away too, looking down at their feet.

Ladybug's stomach dropped. She glanced at Chat who took his place between her and Queen Bee. "Ladybug and I talked too. We're not revealing any identities to each other from here on out." Chat said, crossing his arms as well. 

"How are we supposed to trust you? We don't even know you." Carapace spoke up.

"You trusted us before you were miraculous holders, trust us now. Besides, I'm trusting the three of you to do the right thing." Ladybug leveled with them. She was not pleased with how this was going.

"Okay." Everyone turned to the least likely to agree. "They're right guys. It's not our place to question things. They've got 4 years of this on us. They don't know each other or else they'd be dating already," Queen Bee reasoned.

"Yeah, she's got a boyfriend and I've got a girlfriend. And they don't know about our alter egos either." Chat shrugged.

"Chaton!" Ladybug shouted, knowing that the infamous Ladyblogger was in their midst.

"What? Ladybug has a boyfriend?" Rena whipped around and stared.

"Could be a girlfriend." Queen Bee reasoned. 

"Could be more than one," Carapace shrugged. "I've got a friend like that, it works for her."

"Hold up," Ladybug said. "You're all shocked that I'm dating someone, but not Chat?"

"What can I say, I'm just a lady's man." Chat smirked.

Rena rolled her eyes. "Nah, we've just all seen you leaving a certain balcony on the occasion.

Chat pointed his finger. "Shut your mouth, Rena. No one needs to know who she is, it could endanger her." 

"Chill dude, no one is going to name her." Carapace said stepping between Chat and Rena.

Queen Bee waved her hand. "I don't know who she is, and I really could care less. Could we talk about the important things please?"

Ladybug sighed with relief. "Yes Bee, we can." She was happy the situation was getting defused.

"Perfect, so like, are you dating a guy or a girl? Just need to know my chances here." Queen Bee asked. Ladybug smacked her forehead and groaned.

"No, I meant important stuff such as Hawk Moth and patrol. We aren't all needed every Monday and Friday for patrol." Ladybug rolled her eyes.

"She's right, from now on Carapace and I will be taking Mondays, Queen Bee and Rena Rouge will be on Wednesdays, and myself and Ladybug will be on Fridays. I don't mind going twice a week." Chat shrugged. Ladybug was just happy that he was on her side of things.

"Works for me." Carapace said as he put his hand in the center of the circle that the group has formed as they talked.

"What are you doing?" Rena Rouge asked.

"Well, typically when teams all agree on something, they put their hands in the middle and chant something." Carapace said with his arm still extended.

"I'm down." Chat said putting his hand in the middle.

"Wednesdays are fine for me." Bee said putting her hand in.

"Fine," Rena said shaking her head.

"Team Miraculous." Ladybug said putting her hand on top of everyone's.

Everyone glanced around smiling. "Team Miraculous!" They shouted as they threw their hands into the air. A burst of light went up into the air and exploded, showering glittering sparks around them. They all stared in awe.

"I'd say we make an explosive team," Chat commented, getting a collective groan from the women and a chuckle from Carapace.

"Hey! Team Miraculous! Down here!" Ladybug glanced over the edge a citizen that was waving at them.

"Alright guys, come on," She said as she dove off the tower. She twisted enough to catch her yo-yo on the edge as she continued towards the ground. At last moment the string yanked and she was landing gently on her feet. Chat landed on his baton on her right with Carapace stopping his shield as he reached the ground. Rena Rouge was on her right, gracefully landing from her flight with Queen Bee spinning her top back as she landed next to Rena. All 5 of them together felt weird, but good to Ladybug.

"Wow! You guys are amazing! Can I get a picture for my daughter?" He asked. They smiled at each other.

"Sure thing." Ladybug answered. They threw their arms around each other as the guy yanked his phone from his pocket. He quickly snapped a picture before grinning.

"This is so cool, do you mind if I take a selfie too?" They all nodded and gathered around him to let him take the picture. "Thanks! This means the world to me!" He called as he ran off in the opposite direction.

"That was nice," Queen Bee smiled.

"You're pretty good at being nice," Ladybug commented, hoping if she reinforced the behavior that Chloe would behave better. She took in the group. "Alright guys, Sundays should be the night of the week that we all meet up for debrief. Say, 9?"

Slowly everyone was nodding in agreement. "Awesome. Now let's go out and check the city to see if there's any distress before be meet at Notre Dome. Meet on the roof, I have one more thing to discuss with you before the night is over."

"Alright guys, north is Rena. South is Queen Bee. East is Carapace. West is us." Chat said pointing to everyone as he went. 

"And that's fair how?" Rena pointed out.

"It's not about being fair, I just have a few things to discuss with Ladybug before we meet back at Notre Dome. Suck it up Rena." Chat's tone surprised Ladybug. He usually was using puns or trying to be funny, but he sounded like he was being defensive as he talked to Rena.

Rena threw her hands up. "Fine, down kitty." Rena floated off and went north. Carapace put two fingers on his forehead and saluted them as he rode his shield towards the east. Bee threw her top and took off south of them. Ladybug was analyzing Chat Noir though. She almost didn't follow him at first because she was too busy trying to decide what it was that he wanted to talk about.

Soon they were standing on a roof that overlooked one of the worst alleys in Paris. It was dark and had many door entrances. They were currently trying to convince the city council to put some lighting in it so that there was less muggings, but they hadn't been successful yet. "Ladybug, I think that we should hold off on bringing them into the Hawk Moth investigation." Chat said. Ladybug watched as his ears flattened and his tail swished through the air.

"Why?" She asked. She saw the signs on anxiety in her partner, and she wondered what he was so worried about.

He looked away from the alley and up into his friend's face. She looked concerned. He knew that it was because of how he was acting. "Because, they need some time to adjust and I think if we try to push them into everything that it may throw them off. I want to investigate just the two of us until we can decide on if we think it's Gabriel Agreste or not. Do you understand?"

"Yeah," Ladybug may have agreed, but she didn't sound convinced. "We can wait, but not too long kitty."

"Sure thing. I just want to let them get used to it. We can hold off akumas all day, but we need them to be ready for actually taking on Hawk Moth." Chat pointed out.

"That's a really good point. Let's tell them what we're doing, and then we'll pull them in once we've figured out who he is." Chat's heart was soaring at her words. In reality, he wanted to do some investigating of his own without anyone else knowing. 

They took one more glance into the empty alley before taking off. They landed on the roof of Notre Dome moments before everyone else. "The city is quiet tonight." Rena said staring off the roof in awe. There was a reason Paris was named the city of lights, it was lit up perfectly at night.

"It is most nights." Ladybug smiled. She was glad their first patrol was done without any issues.

"One last things before we head home guys." Chat spoke up. "Ladybug and I have been doing investigations on Hawk Moth and we think we may have an idea of who he could be. Before we do anything too extreme, Ladybug and I are going to dig a little deeper."

"Who?" Carapace said quickly.

"Well, we don't want to jade your opinions. If you think of anything, leave myself or Chat a voicemail. Our numbers should automatically be programmed into your weapons." Ladybug explained. Chat let out a breath that he didn't even realize that he was holding. He was glad that Ladybug was trusting him on this.

The others all shrugged and agreed. Soon everyone was parting ways. The last one on the roof was Rena Rouge who was still trying to decide who Ladybug's boyfriend was. Finally she gave up and headed home. She knew who Chat Noir was now, but she knew she was going to keep that one on the down low. Even if it did break her heart to know that her best friend was dating the same person without knowing it. As Alya de-transformed at home, she knew that she was going to struggle with that one for awhile, but she trusted that Adrien would do the right thing eventually.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First full week of work is a wrap! Today is Sweetest Day and so as soon as my boyfriend is out of work, he plans to take me out for the evening, so I worked hard to wrap this up before then. I have loved all the feedback lately guys! It makes me literally the most happy person ever. I send screenshots to my bestfriend and I'm pretty sure she's sick of me bragging about you guys! I hope you're all doing fantastic. I have tomorrow off, so I'm going to try to pour a bunch into that. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! And just so that you understand, I have actually decided what I want to go into this fic, so if it seems like we're at a point where stuff is about to start getting interesting, you're right. All of the chapters before this have been leading up to what's going to happen. It gets real next chapter and from there on out, well, I guess you'll have to wait and see. (Just so you know, I have finished this fic's outline and I'm already looking at a possible part 2).


	14. Don't You Know It's Christmas, Gabriel Agreste?

The last exam of the day left Marinette feeling like she had gone toe to toe with every akuma she had ever faced in less than an hour and a half. The only bright side to this was that it was finally over. The semester was done and she was only a semester away from graduating. She found Alya and Nino first, they were directly outside her door waiting for her. She flung her arms around the duo and grinned. "It's finally Christmas break," Marinette groaned.

"Stop sounding like you're dying girl. It's not like you've been burning the candle at both ends." Alya rolled her eyes. Marinette knew what she had meant. Their first week of patrols had been fine, but the second week it felt like all the criminals had come out of the woodwork on top of their being 4 akumas that week. Patrol, attacks, and exam crams had made the group whipped out. The only one who didn't look like they were suffering this week was Chloe, and no one knew how to feel about that.

"You're wrong, I have burnt away the entire wick. All that's left of my will to live is burnt out wax," Marinette said dramatically as she threw her entire weight onto Alya, who held her up with ease.

"Woo is you," Alya said throwing her back onto her feet. "Go lean on one of your boyfriends, they'll hold you up." Nino chuckled and both of the girls dissolved into a fit of giggles.

"Having fun without me?" Adrien asked as he joined up with them. His hair was starting to get shaggy, surprisingly his dad hadn't forced him to get a hair cut yet. He was wearing a sweater and jeans today, with Marinette's lucky charm tied snugly around his one wrist.

"Hold your girlfriend, she's burnt out and won't carry her own weight," Alya said pushing her best friend into Adrien's arms.

"What? No," She protested as Adrien did exactly as Alya said and swept her off her feet. "ADRIEN!" She shrieked. It only drew half of their classes attention. Everyone was used to their shenanigans at this point. The happy couple was hardly news anymore, so they were mostly left to their own devices.

"Can't I carry my girlfriend home?" He grinned at her. Marinette laughed and relaxed in his arms. "Only this once!" She said. Alix skated past them, with Kim running behind her with Max on his back. Ivan and Mylene walked hand in hand, almost skipping past the group.

Marinette watched all of her friends walking out of the building, most bundled in layers, but some still sporting light jackets and scarves. The snow was heavy already, coming down slow but steady. Adrien stiffened a little bit and stopped at the top of the steps. Marinette scrunched her nose as she looked at where his gaze was. There, in front of the grey luxury sedan, stood Nathalie, his bodyguard and his father Gabriel Agreste.

She glanced back up at her boyfriend whose face had steeled while she took in the scene in front of them. "Hang on." He said. He quickly walked down the steps and right up to the group, Alya and Nino tagging along behind them. "Father. Nathalie." He greeted them casually, still having Marinette in his arms.

"You can put me down," Marinette said quietly.

"I already said I was carrying you home. It looks like we're just going to have to wait a moment.' Adrien answered as he continued staring down his father. 

Gabriel however was wide eyed as he took in his son carrying Marinette. He knew that they were dating and that they had spent quite a bit of time together, but he hadn't realized that they were so close. "Adrien, I knew you would be heading to Marinette's so before you could go, I decided to come say hello before I left for my trip. I'll be heading out of the country for 2 weeks. Nathalie has arranged for you to stay with Marinette's family." Gabriel said as his eyes flickered to the bakery next to the school.

"But Father, what about Christmas?" Adrien asked, his face crest fallen.

"I have things to prepare with the company. I will attempt to make it home, but I cannot be certain if I will. I have decided that Nathalie and I will be having the wedding on New Years Eve, so I have things to prepare before then." Gabriel clasped his hands in front of him.

"New Years Eve?" Adrien frowned. "So soon?"

"We decided we wanted to get married before the new year." Gabriel nodded. Nathalie turned her head away and Marinette determined that this was all Gabriel's planning. Marinette jumped out of Adrien's arms, barely listening to his minimal protests.

"Monsieur Agreste, don't you know that Christmas is supposed to be celebrated with family? And have you even thought about Adrien's feelings in this wedding? Hell, even Nathalie's? Or have you only thought about yours?" Marinette stood about a foot and a half shorter than Gabriel, so she was still short as she got on her tip toes to tell him off. "You were expected at our home on Christmas Eve. And I understand that you have things to prepare, but do the right thing here." 

Adrien took Marinette's hand as Gabriel glared down at her. "If you really feel so strongly about this ritual Mlle Dupain-Cheng, I will make myself available for Christmas, but the wedding date is set. I will be having a dress delivered to you next week since you will be in the wedding." Marinette's eyes widened.

"ME?" She all but cried out.

"Yes, since you are Adrien's girlfriend, Nathalie figured it only appropriate to have you in the wedding party." Nathalie looked up at that and smiled softly at Marinette. Marinette was stunned, she hadn't figured that would happen. "Mlle Cesaire and Monsieur Lahiffe, expect to receive your invitations shortly. I will see you at Christmas Eve, Adrien." Gabriel nodded to his son before getting back into the car.

"Father," He said halfheartedly. Marinette turned to him and frowned.

"Goodbye," Gabriel said shutting the door.

"Bye," Adrien muttered. Marinette squeezed his hand. 

"I'm sorry Adrien." Marinette was about to have those same words leave her lips but was surprised that they came from Nathalie. "I will try to talk to him about a new date, but he seemed set in the idea of New Years Eve. I truly wish he had consulted with you. I'm sorry Adrien."

Adrien looked down at his feet. "Good luck Nathalie. I don't blame you." Adrien was used to disappointment in his father. At this point, this didn't change anything for him.

"Thank you. And Marinette, you're the only one I know who I'd want to be one of my bridesmaids." Nathalie smiled softly. 

"I will," Marinette stuttered out when Alya kicked the back of leg to make her speak.

"Thank you. I'll try to change his mind, but I look forward to Christmas Eve. I dropped off your clothes and things at Marinette's. If you need anything, you know how to get back in the manor, but the staff has the next two weeks off, so just keep that in mind." Nathalie said hugging Marinette and Adrien. They both froze for a fraction of a second before relaxing into the hug.

"I will. Have a good trip." Adrien said as they pulled back. Nathalie got into the car and it zipped off.

Alya walked up behind the couple and said, "So are you going to have both boys in your bed at the same time?" Marinette yelped and would have fallen face first into the street if Adrien wasn't prepared to yank her back into his arms.

"I'm sure Chat and I can work something out." Adrien smirked and Marinette thought she was going to faint. The thought of Adrien coming to stay at her house had surprised her too much.

"I uh, hmm, let's go eat?" Marinette finally spat out.

"Works for me, I'm starving." Nino said stretching out. Alya rolled her eyes at him.

"You're always starving." She teased as they all began walking back towards Marinette's home.

"I'm with Nino on this one, that exam made me so stressed that I forgot to do anything but study at lunch." Adrien shrugged.

"You know everything though," Marinette groaned. "I so didn't get that last theory for the physics exam."

"The one about Pavlov?" Alya asked.

"That was psychology," Adrien pointed out.

"Shit, you're right. I totally bombed the physics exam. Good thing you don't need that in journalism." Alya shrugged. "I just wish that exam was the last one that I ever have to take."

"We still have university." Marinette shrugged. "Or were you just referring to being bummed about next semester?"

"No one asked your opinion, Mari." Alya stuck her tongue and knelt down outside the bakery doors. She scooped some snow into her hands and Marinette jumped behind Adrien. "Take it like a woman!" Alya shouted, running behind Adrien in order to pelt Marinette with the snow ball. Marinette dove between her boyfriend's legs and clumped some snow together herself.

"Never!" Marinette yelled throwing the snow at her best friend as a ball collided with her chest. 

"Our girlfriends are crazy." Nino muttered to Adrien. Adrien casually knelt down to tie his shoe, and his best friend leaned against the wall of the bakery, watching the girls chase each other on the side walk while flinging wet snow at each other. Adrien was sure his friend was distracted, so he grabbed an armful of snow and dumped it over Nino's head.

The girls both stopped and stared at the guys. "Dude, you're done!" Nino shouted as he reached down and began throwing snow at Adrien. They were distracted with their attempts of hitting each other that they didn't notice Alya and Marinette gathering several snow balls themselves. At least, they didn't notice until one hit each of the boys.

Nino and Adrien turned to look at the girls. "Don't you boys know that girls are better at everything?" Alya chided.

"I don't think they do, shall we show them?" Marinette said as she lobbed another snowball and it collided direct center with Adrien's chest. Soon snow was flying in every direction and the group was laughing and screaming as snow collided with bare skin that peeked between their layers. Adrien caught Marinette and threw them into one of the snowbanks that lined the streets. Marinette retaliated by shoving a handful of snow down the back of his coat.

"That was cold!" He squeaked as he tried to get it out of his coat.

"Oh! I'm sorry," Marinette reached out to try to help, but Adrien caught the hood of her coat and dumped some snow into it before pulling it over her head. "ADRIEN!"

Alya dove and knocked both of them back into the snowbank before Nino jumped in after them. Soon the group was laying there trying to catch their breath. Sabine peeked her head out the bakery doors. "Hot chocolate?" She offered.

"Yes please!" Marinette said first before the others agreed.

"Alright, leave the wet clothes in the stair way, I'll put them in the dryer." Sabine said stepping outside. "Adrien, your things are in Marinette's room if you'd like to change into something dry. Just leave your wet clothes in the bathroom. Alya, feel free to raid Marinette's closet. Nino, let me know if you need anything, I have a few of Tom's things from his younger days that may fit."

"Thanks Maman," The girls both kissed Sabine's cheeks as they walked in together with their arms linked.

Nino hugged Sabine before heading up. "Thanks Mama Cheng."

Adrien stopped and hugged her last. "Thank you so much Sabine."

"Of course honey. I don't expect you to be any trouble at all, in fact I do believe this will be good for you. You can see how Christmas is done in our home." Sabine squeezed him and patted his cheek before shooing him through the door. The group all left their dripping coats, boots, and mittens in the stairway before walking into the home. Alya and Marinette raced up the stairs to change while Adrien and Nino helped Tom in the kitchen where he was making the hot chocolate along with a steaming pile of chocolate croissants. The girls walked back down, bundled in sweatshirts and leggings.

Adrien excused himself upstairs and stripped off his wet sweater and his soaked jeans. Plagg flew out. "So what's the plan lover boy? Is Chat Noir on vacation while Adrien lays in the arms of his lady?" Plagg said floating around the room and over to the desk.

"I don't know, I hadn't thought that far ahead." Adrien said as he found his bags on Marinette's chaise. Nathalie had packed him two suitcases. He opened the one on top and was surprised to see a note from Nathalie.

_Adrien, I know things are how you or I would like them. I cleared your schedule while you're staying with Marinette. It's not much, but it was the least I could do. I left a credit card for you, take her somewhere special and have fun while we're away, you deserve it. Don't worry about the cost, I'll cover it. ~Nathalie_

Adrien choked up as he read it. He glanced at the maroon and black credit card that was paper clipped to the bottom of the page. His name was engraved in the bottom. He couldn't help but feel bad for how he had treated Nathalie before. She really did want the best for him, she always did what she could for him. He smiled as he set the note and card down and threw on a new outfit. It was a pair of sweatpants and a long sleeve shirt, but it was exactly what he wanted to wear on this cold day. He walked down and held his laughter at Nino's new attire. He wore a giant red hoodie that hung to his knees and a pair of shorts that barely peeked out.

"No words, my dude, no words." Alya and Marinette were both grinning behind him, but Adrien just smirked.

"I don't know what you're inferring." He patted Nino's shoulder and gratefully took a cup of hot chocolate. The group all sat on the couch. Nino sat in the corner with his arms up each side of the couch and Alya tucked into his side. Adrien sat down on the end and Marinette leaned her back on his shoulder and threw her legs over Alya's lap, who just shrugged and placed her mug on top of Marinette's shins. Marinette picked up the remote and turned on the TV. They scrolled through the TV guide before settling on Home Alone. Adrien had never seen it before and the rest of them knew that it would be a perfect way to kick off their break.

Soon their mugs were empty, the credits were rolling, and they had all laughed hard enough that they could have cried. Tom and Sabine had set the table and called them to the table to eat. They were all sitting down to a dish of wontons since it was the winter solstice. Sabine explained the meaning of the food to the boys, but Alya had joined them every year on the winter solstice to enjoy the food since she declared them the best thing since macaroons.

Tom and Sabine smiled at their table that was full of children. Marinette had always been their only child, but now it felt like they had always had 4 kids since they filled their table so often. When dessert rolled around, everyone was already full, but you couldn't pass up dessert in this household. Marinette carefully tucked one of the cookies into her bag that she still had thrown over her shoulder. Adrien carefully put a cheese danish in his shirt pocket. Nino carefully tucked a fruit tart into the hoodie pocket while Alya tucked a biscuit into the sweater that Marinette had loaned her. None of the members of the group gave notice to the others shenanigans as they all wrapped the evening up.

"I need to be getting home soon," Alya stood from the table first and Nino quickly followed her.

"I'll walk you back." He offered.

Adrien and Marinette both smiled. They both were thinking the same thing, that their friends were meant to be together. "I'll walk you guys out," Marinette offered. "Maman, is the dryer done?" 

"Yes dear, everything is folded and on the steps." Sabine said as she finished the dishes in the kitchen.

"Thank you for everything maman and papa." Alya said as she hugged them.

"Exactly what she said." Nino said as he followed his girlfriend through the motions. The pair threw on their warm coats and boots and headed down the stairs with the promise of returning the clothing soon. 

Marinette walked them down to the door and Alya grinned at her. "Don't get yourself into too much trouble girlfriend. You're in for a fun night if Chat shows his nose." 

"Hush, I'll leave him a note or something on the balcony, I'm sure he'll understand." Marinette said as she kissed Alya's cheeks.

"Leave her alone Alya, she'll figure it out, 'Nette always does." Nino smiled.

"Thanks Nino." Marinette hugged him and opened the door for them. "I'll see you guys soon."

"Damn straight." Alya grinned as she walked out the door, Nino in tow behind her. She watched her friends walk and fade into the darkness. She slowly shut the door and turned around, before she covered her mouth to keep the shriek in her mouth. 

"Hey princess." Chat Noir said, laying along her banister. The window at the top of the stairs partially cracked open.

"Chat! What are you doing here?" Marinette whisper shouted at the cat. He was lounging along the banister as if he did it everyday, like he belonged there.

"Oh you know, just keeping my princess company before I go on patrol. Besides, I have somewhere else to be in a little bit and before I got too busy, I wanted to swing by and give the most amazing person a kiss." He said as he smiled down at her.

Marinette crossed her arms and cocked her eyebrow. "You came all the way over here just to show me that you could kiss yourself?" Marinette shot back at him. Chat turned red and almost melted off the banister.

"My princess compliments me too much," Chat whispered as he got off the railing and stood on the steps.

"So you came here to kiss Adrien?" Marinette giggled.

Chat rolled his eyes. "I came here to kiss you." He stepped down so that he was at her level. Her grin faded into a faint smile.

"I appreciate that Chat, and I'm glad that you're here. Adrien is going to be staying here for the next two weeks since his dad is going to be out of the country." Marinette leaned in and hugged him, wrapping her arms tightly around his torso.

"Hmm, so you're kicking meow-t of your warm bed? I understand. I'll sneak my visits whenever I get the chance." Chat leaned in and kissed Marinette softly, but that wasn't what she wanted. She moved her arms so that she had them around his neck and jumped so that her legs were around his waist. When he caught her, his hands landed on the underside of her thighs. She deepened the kiss and he pushed her into the wall. "Princess," He gasped as he pulled away, but Marinette kissed along his jaw and down his neck.

"Marinette," He grunted. 

"Sorry," She said pulling away. "I guess I got carried away." 

"Not at all, my love, but I do need to go. I promised Ladybug that I would meet her for patrol tonight." Chat grinned at her. 

"Oh," Marinette's eyes widened with realization. She hadn't thought how she would slip from the house without Adrien finding out.

"Yeah, don't worry, that kiss won't let me forget you anytime soon." Chat smirked. He leaned back in and planted another gentle kiss on her tingling lips. "I love you princess, I'll see you soon."

He dropped her back to her feet and walked her up the stairs until he reached the window. "I love you too, Chat." She watched him climb out the window before she shut it and ran up the stairs to go back to her apartment. She opened the door at the same time that the bathroom door opened and Adrien entered the living room.

Adrien smiled at her. "Everything okay?" He asked.

"Yeah, they left alright." Marinette smiled back at him, her lips still tingling from the kiss.

"Cool," Adrien watched her lift her hand to her lips and he couldn't help but be glad he had taken care of that. She'd never suspect anything, he was almost certain of it. "I realized that Nathalie didn't quite get everything I need, so I'm going to run home and grab those last few things before coming back. I'll be quick."

"Oh, do you want me to come with you?" She asked looking at the clock. She knew that she would have to pull a disappearing act soon, so she prayed that he said no.

As if he had heard her very thoughts, "No that's alright. It's no problem really." He said as he picked up his coat and tugged on his boots. "But I'll be back soon." The gentle kiss to her lips felt familiar. She left her eyes shut for a moment longer before she looked at him like she had something to ask him.

"Be safe," Was all Marinette said. "I love you, Adrien."

"I love you too Marinette." Adrien said as he ducked out the door and it shut behind him.

"I hope you told Chat Noir hello from us." Sabine said from behind her.

"What?" Marinette spun on her mother. 

"Well, I went to check on the crashing noise I heard." Sabine shrugged as she turned around. "Goodnight my daughter. Have a good night."

Marinette debated on if it was possible to die of embarrassment, and decided it wasn't possible and that she needed to leave now and be fast on her patrol before Adrien got back and discovered she was missing. Tonight was a blessing, but next Friday would be more tricky to get herself out of. She was going to have to come up with something fast, because Adrien waking up to an empty bed would not be the answer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So guys, Catalyst was a thing. I enjoyed it and was shook and have a few feels now, but I survived. I still can't believe Astruc went there, but I guess we'll have to wait and see where we end up from here. If it isn't obvious to those of you who have seen Hero's Day pt 1, this story says that after Frozer, things kind of proceed as there's an akuma here or there and that's where events end in similarities of this fic and the show because I don't know how I could incorporate those events into the story at this point. Anyways, thanks for reading! I appreciate the hell out of you guys, and can't wait for you to see where things go from here.   
> And as always, don't forget to leave me some love or questions in the comments or maybe a kudos. Thanks! Emily <3


	15. Finding Us

"Chat!" Ladybug called as she landed on the roof. If she was here as Marinette, she knew she would have fallen into him and knocked both of them off the roof, but instead she landed perfectly and smirked at her partner.

"Well hello there, right on time." He winked at her and she couldn't help the burn that flooded her cheeks. It wasn't her fault that all she could picture was him holding her to the wall just 10 minutes ago, the memory was fresh and probably burned into her memory.

"Did you doubt me, kitty?" Ladybug leaned in and scratched under his chin and he grinned at her.

"Never, Ladybug." And she knew he meant it. He always relied on her to be there. And even when she hadn't been, he had still wanted her there to help him. Patrol on Monday with Carapace had been quiet, the pair quickly racing through the streets before parting ways when they had realized that Paris was not going to cause them too much trouble the weeks coming up on Christmas.

Ladybug pulled away. "I think the city has decided to follow the rules tonight." She said glancing out from the roof and across the rest of the city. There were few people on the street and even less cars. Not a single siren was sounding in the city tonight.

"And I think that's because of us. Congratulations, how should we celebrate?" Chat smiled as he sweeped into a sarcastic bow.

"I believe that we should celebrate with a seat on the Eiffel Tower for a little bit. I have to get home soon." Ladybug cast her yo-yo through the air and took off, leaving Chat Noir to stand, gaping at her figure as she flipped and spun between roofs. It took a moment for his legs to respond, but soon he crashed into the side of the tower in a less than graceful fashion.

"Chat! Are you okay?" Ladybug knelt down next to him and helped him up onto their usual ledge.

"Just peachy." He coughed as he landed next to her. "Oh that's going to hurt for a moment." He grunted.

"Here, let me try something." Ladybug hesitantly pressed her hand to his rib and focused hard. Tikki had told her she was capable of great feats, maybe this could be one of them. Soon her hand began to glow pink and her body wilted as Chat's pain disappeared immediately.

"Bugaboo!" He shouted for the first time in over a month. Ever since Chat had started dating Marinette, Ladybug had noticed him using nicknames less and less.

"I'm okay, I just overexerted myself. I hadn't tried that before." Ladybug's head spun and she felt something drip down her face. She reached up and wiped away the blood that had trickled down. "Wow, that took a lot out of me."

"Why would you do that?" Chat asked, holding her head in his lap.

"I, ugh," Marinette sat up slowly, the spinning fading the longer she focused. "You're my partner, I'd do anything for you. Besides, I've been looking for a reason to try that recently and you presented the perfect opportunity. My kwami said I could a lot that I hadn't discovered yet, but I didn't know if that was one of the things or not."

"That was stupid." Chat's words stung and Ladybug glared at him.

"Excuse me?"

"That was a huge risk to take! What if it killed you! Ladybug, you're not the one to take risks, I am!" Chat stood up and Ladybug did not like him attempting to be authoritative over her.

"I'm not allowed to take risks? Who made you the boss of me?" Ladybug glared as she stood up and stared into his dark green eyes. His irises were wider than usual. She wanted nothing more than knock him down a few pegs, but in her heart she knew he was right, it was a stupid risk, especially when after all this time she still wasn't aware of all her powers.

"I'm not the boss of you, I just don't want you to die because of me! I don't want you to take risks because of me!" Chat said gripping her shoulders. "You're my best friend Ladybug!"

"You're my best friend too Chat, but I don't control your choices. Please don't try to control mine." She said grabbing onto his forearms. "I understand your worries, but Chat Noir, I'm 18 years old, I don't need 3 mothers."

"You're 18?" Chat asked, surprised at this revelation.

"I am."

"And you have two mothers?" He was surprised at this sudden revelation. It was almost a relief though. Marinette did not have two mothers, which meant that if Ladybug was risking her life for him, it was not Marinette risking her life. He couldn't live with himself if she was.

"In a way. I suppose only one is really my mom, but the other one, she acts like she is." Ladybug smiled, thinking of Alya as she spoke. 

"Best friend?" Chat Noir felt the sinking in his stomach return as he realized that if Ladybug was Marinette, she could be referring to Alya. The girls had a close bond that sometime bordered on motherly.

"Stop trying to change the subject, chaton. I have revealed enough tonight." Ladybug said pulling away.

"I wish I could know everything sometimes, but then I remember what could happen if I did. And that's not what I want. I don't want to endanger you anymore than you already endanger yourself. I'm sorry for freaking out, you seem fine now, but I." He stopped himself.

"You what?"

"I couldn't help but think of my girlfriend, and I panicked. I worried about what if she did that for me, and what I would do without her. It was stupid, I know, but I think you guys are alike in someways, so maybe that's what is was. Though, I think she is more stubborn than even you, Ladybug." Chat smirked at his partner, his eyes glinting in the moonlight.

"Is that a compliment to her or me? I can't tell." Ladybug returned the smirk as she patted his shoulder. "If it helps Chat, I can take care of myself. You know that. I won't try anything new for awhile, I need to know more about my powers anyways."

"I'd appreciate that, but you need to do what's right for you." Chat got up. "I've got somewhere to be, but I'll see you next Friday if not sooner. Stay safe."

"You too." Ladybug held out her fist, Chat quickly returning the fist bump. She soared towards home and landed through her skylight before detransforming. She quickly scurried to throw on her pajamas.

"Marinette," Tikki said as Marinette quickly stripped down to nothing in her closet.

"Tikki! You should be hiding." Marinette frowned as she pulled out her tank top and sweat pants.

"Where Marinette? Adrien's going to be staying here for 2 weeks." Tikki frowned, her indigo eyes looking sad.

Marinette pulled her to her chest. "Oh Tikki, I'll keep you safe."

"That's not my worry, what about your secret? And when will I get to see you?" Tikki pouted as she hugged Marinette's chest.

"Don't worry at all Tikki, I've got this covered. And I'll save time for you and sneak you plenty of Christmas goodies." Marinette let go of the kwami as she finished changing. She brushed out her hair left it down for the evening. She exited her closet and was surprised to see Adrien standing in her room, looking only somewhat lost. Tikki hid in her hair.

"Oh, Adrien." Marinette froze, looking for the best place to let Tikki sleep tonight. "I didn't hear you come up."

"Sorry, I was just thinking. Can I use your shower?" He asked, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Oh, sure!" Marinette felt relieved.

"Thanks, I'll try to make it short." He picked up his set of clothes and disappeared into the bathroom quickly. Marinette let out a breath and snatched Tikki's pillow off her bed. She quickly fashioned one of her drawers into a quaint hiding place complete with her tablet and cookies.

"Here Tikki, I know it's not the same as sleeping with me, but it should work for now until I come up with something better." Marinette sighed.

"Thank you Marinette, it's perfect!" The kwami grinned as she dove in and shut the drawer most of the way.

"Glad you like it." She whispered as she padded back towards her bed. Adrien had slept here before. She figured he would be able to find his way to sleeping in her bed pretty quickly. She was laying on her side, scrolling through her phone or else she may have witnessed the figure drop through her ceiling before it landed on top of her. Before she could scream, Chat Noir pressed a hand over her mouth.

"Hush my princess, now isn't the time for screaming, that's later." He winked. Marinette's heart raced. She found herself on her back, with Chat straddling her hips.

She finally shoved his hand off of her mouth. "Chat, what the hell, Adrien is showering right below me!" Marinette whispered.

"Oh I know, that's why I waited until now to drop in. But I felt like things were left in a poor place earlier." He placed his one hand behind her head, his thumb running along her jaw, his claw making her shudder under him.

"Huh?" Was all that Marinette could force herself to form. Chat leaned in until his lips were close enough that she could feel them brush as he spoke.

"Don't worry princess, I'll take care of you and then I'll leave. I did say I would come whenever I could." Chat whispered. Marinette's eyes closed and she leaned into his touch, her lips brushing his for a moment, before the kiss turned just as heated as it had been before. It felt like she couldn't get enough of him. He pushed her against the bed and laid his body across hers, loving the way they fit together like two pieces of a puzzle. 

Chat's mouth left Marinette's and she gasped for breath as he kissed down her neck, lightly biting as he went. He nipped her collarbone and she hissed, she liked the feeling, but she couldn't help but let the air force out of her lungs. Her body felt like it was electrified currently. She felt Chat's gloved hand run along the bare skin that was exposed where her shirt had rode up. She reached up and ran her fingers into his blonde locks before pulling him back up to her lips. He kissed her with a hunger she hadn't felt before tonight in him. He'd always been gentle with her, but tonight something was different. She had felt it when he had pushed her into the wall, but as he pinned her to her bed? She knew something was making him react like this.

She pulled back. "Chat," she swore she hadn't meant to moan, but that was how it had come out anyways.

"Yes princess?" He asked, looking at her with his eyes hooded.

"What's wrong?" She asked, her voice sounding more like normal this time.

His head dropped on her shoulder and he nuzzled his nose against her throat. "Nothing gets past you, you're so smart."

"Compliment me all you want, but you still have to tell me what's bothering you." Marinette chuckled.

"You're the sun in my life, and the moon, and the stars." He blabbered on, but Marinette poked his side. "Fine, fine. You win. I got hurt earlier."

"Are you okay?" Marinette feigned concern. She already knew he had been injured and that she had somehow healed him.

"I'm fine, Ladybug tried out a new power she's found herself to have. She healed me. And it scared me." Chat said as he pressed another kiss to Marinette's pulse.

"Why? Isn't that new power a good thing?" Marinette asked, slightly defending herself.

"In a way, it probably is, but when she did it, I forgot that she was Ladybug for a moment that was hurt while healing me. Instead I saw you, and I worried about if you ever tried to protect me like that. Marinette, I worry about you getting hurt, especially if it's because of me." Chat Noir said as he ran his claws along the side Marinette's face and neck.

"I can take care of myself chaton, no worries about little old me, okay? I promise that I won't do anything rash unless it's necessary." Marinette stroked her boyfriend's hair. "I promise you I'm safe." The words choked her up more than she meant to, but she didn't want him to worry about her during a battle, especially since she was Ladybug. This was another reason that it was good that he didn't know her true identity, it would cloud his judgement.

"I know. But I'm still glad I came to visit you. It made me feel better all the same. Especially when I get to be here with you, and kiss you," he kissed her shoulder before playfully biting at her. "And hold you, and tease you." His hand nudged her shirt so that he could trace her lower ribs with his thumb. Her breath caught in her throat and she bit her lip.

"Chat," she groaned, wishing he wouldn't tease her. 

"I've gotta go. Get some rest, I love you." He kissed her lips quickly. "I'll see you again soon."

"Rude chaton, make a girl needy and then leave right when it starts to get good." Marinette teased, kissing him back. "Goodnight kitty, I love you too." He smiled and stroked her cheek before he pulled himself through her skylight. He shut it quietly and jumped out of her view. She listened as shortly after, the water cut off. A few moments later, the door opened and she saw Adrien walk out in a pair of pajamas and no shirt.

"Is this okay?" He asked, looking up at her as he put his dirty clothes in Marinette's basket as Sabine had told him to.

"Perfect." Marinette felt a blush rise in her cheeks as he voice squeaked.

Adrien climbed into the bed and pulled her close. "Why's your heart beating so fast?" He asked as he ran his fingers through her hair and brushed her bangs from her face.

"Uh," Marinette couldn't think of a reason.

"You've seen me shirtless before, surely that's not it." His breath tickled her face and she felt her pulse go even higher. "And we've shared a bed before, right when we started dating actually, so that's not it." He kissed her cheek.

"Um, it's, ah!" Marinette was surprised when Adrien kissed her neck. She could feel him grin against her skin.

"What, did Chat do this?" Adrien chuckled.

"Mmm, yes," Marinette finally pushed the word through her teeth as Adrien traced a finger along her toned stomach. She never ceased to impress him. She was athletic even though she was clumsy. She was smart, creative, and hard working, and god was she gorgeous.

"I wondered if he would. I don't mind." Adrien said rolling so that he was right back where had been minutes ago while dressed in his suit. He figured that he wanted a little more confidence before he got into bed with Marinette as himself for the night. 

"I wouldn't mind if my shirt came off." The words were out of her mouth before Marinette could stop herself. She quickly smacked the light switch near her bed and the room turned dark, hiding her blush. Adrien traced his hand along her outstretched arm and clicked the light off.

"Did you mean that?" He asked sitting back and pulling her up so that they were both sitting.

"I, yes." Marinette bit her lip. She looked down at her hands that she had clasped in her lap.

"Okay, but only if you want to." Adrien smiled and kissed her forehead.

"I have for awhile." Marinette shrugged.

"Why didn't you tell me?" 

"I didn't want to make you uncomfortable."

"You could never, I love you Marinette." Adrien pulled her into a searing kiss.

When he broke away, she whispered, "I love you too," before she pulled him back to her. She threw her arms around his neck as Adrien's hands found the edge of her shirt. He played with it for a moment before dragging it up her bare skin. They broke apart as he gently tugged it over her head. Marinette wanted to hit the light switch again until she found his eyes. He wasn't staring at her chest, he was staring at her face. He reached out and gently traced her cheeks.

"Wow, I love you a lot," He whispered. He pulled her into a gentle kiss. He was always gentle with her. It surprised her, she had always thought that he would be more rough than he had been. Sure Adrien was soft to everyone in life, but she had seen him when he was determined about something, when his jaw set and his eyes turned a deeper green. She had that side of him before, but she knew that she loved the best side of him. When he was himself, which was absolute sunshine. He could smile, joke, and have fun. And that was exactly what side of him she was seeing now.

"I think I know exactly how you feel." She said as they laid back on the bed. They didn't sleep until the moon was hung high in the sky, too busy discovering each other under the stars.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now this was not exactly what I know most of you expected of this chapter, but sorry not sorry, you'll see why it was necessary. Hope you guys love reading it as much as I love writing it!


	16. Christmas Dupain-Cheng Style

The next few days leading up to Christmas Eve were quiet on the hero front, but not on the human front. Adrien learned how to help out in the bakery with Marinette's family, which was almost as exhausting as chasing down akumas and everyday criminals. He was beginning to understand Marinette's constant fatigue at school. He learned how to knead dough and how to scoop out portions for tarts and danishes. He helped Marinette with boxing all of the goods for the orders, but she had to curl the ribbon every time. Adrien hadn't mastered the technique of running the ribbon against the scissors with the right amount of pressure.

Sunday night had been difficult to get out, he and Marinette had both used the excuse of Christmas shopping, but Marinette had said she wanted to get something for Alya that she didn't want Adrien to see, so they had parted ways once they had left the house. He was relieved when he had been able to make it to the meeting with the team and to the mall to pick up the gifts he had ordered.

That Monday night was easier, he had said he was going to hang out with Nino for a few hours before the Christmas Eve gathering, which wasn't a total lie, but it wasn't exactly the truth either. Marinette had smiled and said she wanted to stay home and get a few things ready before everyone came over. She had been working hard during the last few days, but Adrien wasn't exactly sure what she was working on. Every time he had asked, she had slammed her laptop shut or locked her phone and smiled at him before telling him he would see soon enough.

The patrol had been easy, but that was probably because the sun was still in the sky. Carapace had taken down a mugger who had attempted to mug an officer, and Chat Noir had caught a cat burglar before the sun had even begun to set. The guy had actually been stealing a cat out of his ex girlfriend's apartment. Chat had returned the cat and handed the guy over to the police without laughing at all, which was pretty impressive on his behalf. When they had met back up on top of Notre Dome, Carapace stopped Chat before they part ways. "You know who we all are, right?"

"Of course, why?" Chat Noir asked, concerned that this was going to be a repeat of the argument from before.

"Can you tell me if Rena Rouge knows who I am? Or if I know her? I think I have an idea and I don't want the person to be mad if they find out the wrong way." Carapace fiddled with his hands.

"Dude, you gotta talk to her about that, not me." Chat said throwing his hands up. "Not any of my business."

"I know, but I'm worried. I have a plan for tonight, but what if she finds out the wrong way and gets mad?" Carapace shrugged. "Girls are hard man."

"What's your plan?" Chat was intrigued. Nino had mentioned he had a surprise for tonight's party, but had said he was going to have to wait to find out. Marinette's family had invited Nino and Alya to join the group as well, what Adrien didn't know was that they had been invited just in case his father didn't show.

"Well, I've been in love with my girlfriend for 4 years now, and I know that we're young, but I want to propose to her. Her parents already said they thought it was a great idea, but I only asked them after I asked her best friend. And I mean, her best friend only gave me the idea to double check with them since we're both 18, but I figured that she's the one, you know? So why wait if I love her." Chat's jaw could have dropped off his face. He had not known a single thing about this, but he couldn't say it actually surprised him. He had expected it at maybe graduation, but now? It all made sense though.

"Congrats man, let me know how that goes." He said patting Carapace's back. Nino may have mentioned a surprise, not one of this caliber though. Adrien knew that his friends thought he was a terrible liar, but still.

"Thanks dude, I gotta scram though if I want to be on time. See ya." He called as he flew from the roof. Chat checked the time himself and took off. He landed in the alley next to the bakery and transformed back to his normal self. He ducked through the doors and gave Sabine a kiss on the cheek as she locked the door behind him.

"Just in time young man." Sabine said while turning the sign around to tell everyone they were closed for the rest of the evening.

"Is he here yet?" Adrien asked almost out of breath. He had been in a dead sprint on the roofs in order to get back in time to change.

"Not yet, but he still has 20 minutes before everything starts. Go get ready," Sabine shooed him up the stairs as she closed the rest of the shop down. 

Adrien took the stairs fast, meaning that he jumped the railing twice and landed at the top in less than 5 seconds. He smoothed his shirt and walked into the apartment which smelled like heaven. Nutmeg, cinnamon, and vanilla were the most prominent smells, but he could also smell the ham that was cooking in the oven. He was so focused on smells that he almost didn't catch Marinette as she flew at him. "Hello there," he laughed as he caught her without struggling.

"I was worried you and Nino were going to run away together." She chuckled. He understood why now, she didn't want Nino to get cold feet on asking Alya to marry him.

"Only if you and Alya run away together first. I have no plans on leaving, except to maybe leave and go change before everyone gets here." He kissed the top of her head and took in the fact that she was not wearing her usual array of pinks and greys. Tonight she wore a dark red sweater dress and black leggings.

"Hurry up!" She pushed him towards the stairs and skipped back into the kitchen. Adrien took in her happy demeanor and decided she definitely knew exactly what was going on tonight. He hoped that his father would show up and behave so that it didn't ruin anyone's evening. He was going to grab a button up out of his bag when he noticed a box sitting on top of his suitcase. He picked up the note on top of it and read it.

 _Adrien, I didn't know if you would own one, but we all wear red sweaters on Christmas Eve for a family picture, so I picked one up for you. Sabine._ Her letter was signed with a heart and he couldn't help but feel touched that she wanted him to match in their family picture. He opened the box and pulled it on over his head, finding it to fit him perfectly. He pulled on a pair of black jeans and put on the slippers from his bag. "Plagg," he called, knowing the kwami was hiding in his school bag somewhere.

"I'm sleeping," Plagg said from within the bag.

"I have a surprise for you." Adrien smirked. The black kwami zipped out and stared at him expectantly. "Merry Christmas Eve, here's a cheese danish that I made." Adrien pulled out the treat from his suitcase and handed it to the kwami.

"You're the best Chat Noir ever! I have a gift for you too!" Plagg said rubbing up against Adrien's cheek.

"Really?" Adrien was surprised. Plagg had never gotten him anything besides Camembert before for any holiday.

"Hold out your hand." Adrien did as Plagg had asked. The kwami hovered for a moment before spitting out something into his hand. It was a glowing pile of green goop. Adrien wasn't sure whether he was disgusted or annoyed. This was somehow a step up from Camembert though. "Wait for it." 

The green glowing spit dissolved and left a green half of a yin-yang symbol in his hand. "Wow Plagg! This is awesome, what is it?" Adrien asked.

"A kwagatama. I figured it was finally time that you earned that. Most wear it as a necklace." Plagg smirked.

"I love it. I'll have to find a chain or something to hang it on! Thanks, buddy." Adrien glowed as he tucked it into his pocket. "You deserve some time to relax, chill out up here for tonight. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas Adrien," Plagg said as Adrien ran back downstairs.

"You did good," Tikki said joining Plagg in the air.

"Thanks sugarcube! Netflix?" Plagg said rushing back to the drawer that Marinette had set up for Tikki.

"Dibs on choosing since I told you not to call me that, bad kitty!" Tikki cried, flying after him.

Back downstairs, Adrien helped Tom place the last of the decorations on the tree while Marinette placed the dishes out on the table. They had set up a card table at the end and thrown a long table cloth across the two. It was set up for 9, but Adrien had a sinking feeling that he was only going to see 6 there tonight. Sabine opened the door to the apartment and Nino and Alya came inside. Alya flung her arms around Marinette while Nino walked over and high fived Adrien. 

"This Christmas is amazing, I don't know what's in the air, but it feels perfect. There's snow, but not a blizzard, the lights are shining everywhere, and god it smells delicious in here," Alya ranted as she helped Marinette finish the table.

"I agree, gotta be something in the air this year kids," Tom smiled as he placed the last ornament on the tree. "Marinette, ready to place the star on top?"

"Papa, I don't need to do that." Marinette blushed.

"Nonsense, you have done it every year, come on." Tom waved her over and she walked over and picked up the gold star. "Adrien can help you this year."

"PAPA!" Marinette shouted. The little blush that had covered her cheeks flushed her entire face and Adrien laughed. Instead of letting her feel anymore embarassed, he walked over and picked her up so that she could put it on the top. He saw a flash from the corner of his eye as she placed it. He knew it was probably Alya, but was surprised to turn and see it was actually Sabine.

"You two are just too cute, I couldn't resist." Sabine explained before pocketing her phone again. Adrien glanced around the group and realized that even Alya and Nino were dressed the same as them. He was happy to have his family here, even if his father wasn't going to come. 

Just as he was coming to terms with the fact that his father wouldn't show, there was a knock at the door. Marinette walked over to the door and flung it open. "Nathalie, Gabriel! Thank you for coming!" She said as she threw her arms around the pair. Adrien wasn't sure who was the most surprised person in the room, himself, his father, or everyone else.

Gabriel cleared his throat and straightened his white suit once Marinette had pulled away. "Thank you Marinette for inviting us. Nathalie and I were able to get almost everything set up with the company. There's just some things to finish up in Tibet before we can move forward with the ceremony. Have you received your dress?" He asked as Marinette ushered the pair into the room. Their bodyguard walked in behind them and Marinette touched his arm lightly and nodded at him. Adrien had never seen him smile so softly, but he did right then.

"I did. It fit perfectly. I'm surprised you knew my measurements." Marinette said as she took their jackets and put them on the hooks.

"Nathalie was able to get them from the photo session you and Adrien did. Ah, you must be Marinette's parents, I am Gabriel Agreste." He held out his hand to shake, but Sabine pulled the man down to her level and embraced him.

"In this family we hug, I suggest you get into the habit." Sabine explained as she then turned and hugged Nathalie. Tom followed his wife's lead and Adrien thought his father would faint for sure.

"I see, I will attempt to remember that next year." Gabriel said swallowing harshly. Marinette rejoined Adrien's side and wrapped an arm around his waist.

"Dinner will be ready soon, but the eggnog is ready for anyone who wants some." Tom said scooping some into a mug and handing it to Alya. Soon everyone had a mug and they were all standing in the living room getting ready for the picture.

"This is very kind of your family, Marinette." Nathalie said from beside her.

"It's not a problem at all. We do this every year, and they always love to make sure anyone whose family comes," Marinette said as she clasped her mug between her hands. Adrien's chest swelled at being called family, but he saw Nathalie's face drop into a look of surprise.

"Then why invite us?"

"You're Adrien's family, thus you're my family." Marinette shrugged the question off without pausing. Adrien caught Alya's sly smile, and he returned it. He knew she was thinking of his secret, but he couldn't help but think of his own secret about how Alya's perfect evening was going to get even better.

"You're a wonderful young woman, Marinette." Gabriel commented as he wrapped his hand around Nathalie's. "I look forward to having you as an intern. Our designers can't stop talking about it."

"Thank you sir." Marinette blushed as she looked away. She caught the eye contact between Alya and Adrien, and wondered to herself what they could possibly be grinning about.

Tom finished settling up the camera and grouped everyone together. He set the timer and stood next to Adrien and behind Sabine. "Everyone say cheese!" 

"Cheese!" The camera flashed 3 times. Tom ran over and checked the camera.

"Alright, these turned out great. Now time time for a silly one!" He set the camera again. Adrien gave Marinette bunny ears while sticking out his tongue. Marinette pretended to be fainting while touching Adrien's face. He knew that he was going to need a copy of that picture for sure. The camera flashed again and Tom double checked it. "Perfect!" Everyone settled onto the couch while they waited for Tom and Sabine to finish the meal up. They had shooed everyone away from the kitchen, determined to finish it themselves.

"Alright, dinner time," Sabine said pulling the ham off the counter and walking it over to the table. Marinette jumped up, set her mug at her seat at the table, and helped her family carry dishes. Adrien couldn't help but notice that everyone grabbed a dish except for his father, who stood there observing. Everyone was seated, and Tom held his hands out. Everyone grabbed the others hands, his father hesitated before following suit.

"Gabe, would you like to say grace?" Tom offered.

"It's your home, Tom. I wouldn't wish to intrude like that." Gabriel commented, looking a little hot around the corner. Adrien knew for a fact that his father had never said grace in his life and probably never would.

"Very well. Heavenly Father, love came down on Christmas Day and love brings us together now to share this holiday feast. We ask you to bless our food and all of us here tonight. We remember those we love who are not with us today, but who remain with us in spirit. We pray that you protect those who protect us and may they have a peaceful Christmas. With grateful hearts, we thank you for all the blessings you have given us this year and we pray for peace in families and heroes and nations around the world. Amen." When Tom finished, everyone muttered an amen, except for Gabriel. Adrien wasn't surprised at all, but he was glad that his father hadn't scoffed at the idea of prayer like he usually did.

Marinette squeezed Adrien's hand before letting it go. It wasn't long before the plates had been filled and empty a few times and everyone was beginning to get ready to clean up and return to the living room. The table was cleared and the dishes were stacked in the sink for later. Adrien settled on the couch between Marinette and Sabine. Alya and Nino were next to Marinette and Nathalie and his father were next to them. His bodyguard sat on a chair next to the couch, while Tom sat on the floor next to the tree.

Adrien leaned his head on top of Marinette's and sighed with content. This was perfect as it was. He had never been this happy. His whole family was in one room, no arguments, no akumas, just the peace of the holiday. "Everyone ready to exchange their evening gift?" Sabine asked.

"Oh, we thought that was in the morning, I apologize," Nathalie frowned, watching Gabriel stiffen next to her.

"Nonsense, tonight is more about the children than us anyways," Sabine winked. "Every year we made sure that Marinette had a gift the night before, but when she started bringing friends home for the evening, we began the tradition of the kids having a gift exchange."

"Oh, I see," Nathalie relaxed back into the couch, and Adrien wished he could reassure her. His father always had her prepare for everything, but he knew no one could prepare for everything. Not even her.

Tom pulled out 4 boxes and passed them to the kids. "This is from Sabine and I." He said as he handed one to each of them. Marinette traced her name written on in loopy lettering before neatly pulling the wrapping paper off. Alya ripped hers open with enthusiasm. Nino made two rips and yanked the paper off the box in a smooth motion. Adrien carefully undid the tape and unfolded the paper to reveal the box underneath. All 4 of them pulled out matching aprons. Marinette's was red with her name written in black letter, Adrien's was green with black letters, Alya's was fire orange with white letters, and Nino's was brown with green letters. The four superhero teens stared at the aprons in surprise.

Marinette attempted to make eye contact with her mom who avoided her gaze. Gabriel gaped at the aprons, his mind spinning as each of the teens reacted with varying shock and each of them looking a little over whelmed. Alya who had covered her mouth finally spluttered, "It's beautiful. It matches my hair perfectly."

"My favorite colors," Nino gulped before nodding. "This is great, I'll wear it when I come help out."

"It's perfect, thank you." Adrien grinned.

"Maman, papa." Marinette forced a kind smile that didn't quite meet her eyes. She wondered if her parents had figured it out, or if they had always known. She wondered if they actually knew or if they just wanted to make them each have an apron that looked like one of the superheros of Paris. "I love it."

"I'm glad you do. Anyone else want to go?" Tom offered, his eyes sliding over to the teens who sat dead center in the couch. 

"I brought my gifts!" Alya said jumping off the couch. She grabbed 4 gift bags from under the tree. She handed one to Marinette's parents, one to Nathalie and Gabriel, and then one to Nino before dropping the last bag in between Marinette and Adrien. "It's not much, but I thought they would each suit you guys."

Everyone pulled out an ornament, one that was decorated with the couple's names on the front and their anniversary on the back. "It's beautiful Alya." Marinette smiled as they stared at it rotating in the light. It was gold with black lettering that was obviously hand painted.

"Wonderful work Alya, you have an artist's eye." Gabriel complimented. Adrien could not have been more shocked to see his father behaving so kindly. Maybe he did have a soul after all.

"I'll go next," Adrien offered. He stood up and grabbed the small boxes that stacked on top of each other. He handed them out to everyone and sat down. He watched his bodyguard grin as he opened a present himself. Everyone pulled out a silver bracelet from their box, each one having a puzzle piece dangling from it. "You're all the pieces of my life, and when we're together, everything fits and it's perfect." He explained. Marinette hugged him with a grin. 

"I love you," Marinette whispered in his ear.

"Very nice Adrien," Nathalie said slipping hers on her wrist, her eyes glistening. Each of them had a statement engraved on it. Marinette's was love of my life, Nino's was my best bud, Alya's was my crazy best friend, Sabine's said my other mother, Tom's said my other father, his bodyguard's said my protector, Nathalie's said my keeper, and his father's said my father. It had taken him awhile to decide what he wanted each of them to say, but Nathalie's was the hardest. She wasn't his mother, and there wasn't a really good word for what she meant to him. She was someone who he couldn't imagine his life without and he had decided that he was truly happy for the fact that she was marrying his father.

Nino stood up and hugged him. "I love it man, thank you." He broke away and picked up gifts that were wrapped in newspaper. "I forgot to pick up wrapping paper, so I went the old fashion way." He shrugged as he passed one to everyone except Adrien's bodyguard, not that Adrien blamed him. Inside was a rope bracelet for everyone that were obviously handmade by Nino, they even had their names on them in wooden beads.

"This is awesome, did you guys collaborate or something?" Alya teased.

"Nah, great minds think alike." Adrien grinned down the couch at them. He was waiting to see if Nino was going to ask now, but he sat down instead. Adrien's stomach dropped, he hoped his best friend wasn't backing down now.

"Papa, pass me those?" Marinette pointed to a pile of tubes that sat under the tree towards the back. Tom passed them to Marinette who handed them out slowly, everyone receiving one. She sat down and handed Adrien's to him. "Merry Christmas, you get your other gift tomorrow," she said kissing his cheek.

Adrien fumbled as he opened the tube, his hands unsteady. He wasn't sure what she could've made him and everyone else. He hadn't noticed her designing anything since he had been staying here. He finally pulled the scroll out and gasped when he recognized himself and Marinette. It was a scene of them standing together in front of the Eiffel Tower with a sky filled with stars behind it. "You drew this?" He asked as he turned towards her. She smiled and nodded. "It's amazing. This is going in a frame." He carefully rolled it up and slid it back into the tube before squeezing Marinette into his side.

Everyone else was admiring their drawings except for Nino. He was busy getting off the couch so that he was kneeling in front of Alya, who was holding the drawing up close to her face, memorizing the details of it. Everyone stayed quiet as they waited for her to realize what was happening. Marinette grabbed Adrien's arm and dug her fingers into it as he pulled her onto his lap and clung to her. He was so excited for his best friends that he could hardly contain himself.

"Wonderful job, Marinette. It's gorgeous, and why are you staring at me like that?" Alya asked as she looked at Marinette and Adrien who both couldn't stop smiling.

"I think you have one more present Alya." Marinette bit her lip and nodded towards Nino. Alya put the drawing down and gasped. Her boyfriend was kneeling in front of her, blushing as he held a box in front of him.

"She's right, but this one comes at a cost. The price tag is that you have to be my wife for the rest of our lives. And I know I'm asking a lot, but I love you so much. I want to wake up next to you everyday, and spend our days together for the rest of our lives. You make me happy and I just want to spend the rest of my life making you happy. Will you marry me Alya Cesaire?" Nino asked opening the box. Inside sat a simple diamond ring. It wasn't anything to fancy, just a large stone surrounded by several smaller stones with a silver band.

"Of course I will!" She said throwing herself onto him. Marinette squealed as they hugged, and Adrien shouted. They kissed before breaking apart so that Nino could slip the finger onto Alya's finger.

"Good guess on the size Marinette." Nino shot her a thumbs up.

"You were in on this?" Alya screamed, throwing herself from Nino onto Marinette and Adrien.

"Duh, who do you think agreed to give your hand away in holy marriage?" Marinette laughed as the girls hugged it out on top of Adrien.

Nino came over and knelt next to Adrien. "Sorry dude, we all know you're a horrible liar and wouldn't have been able to keep this secret." Nino winked.

"No hard feelings if you can help me out here." Adrien said grabbing his friend's shoulder. He couldn't be mad that they had left him out of the loop. "And if I'm your best man."

"Deal. Up you go." Nino said lifting Alya off of Marinette, both girls still crying and laughing at the same time.

"Congratulations you two." Sabine said as she embraced the couple. "I always knew that this would happen, but I'm glad I was able to record your special moment." 

"Oh thank you Maman," Alya cried as she hugged Sabine harder.

"Of course Alya. You two are always welcome here, you're family." Sabine smiled. Tom walked over and joined in. Adrien and Marinette followed suit. Adrien held his hand out towards his father and Nathalie. They both looked at him.

"C'mon, this is a family group hug." Adrien smiled. His bodyguard walked up and joined them. Nathalie stood and pulled Gabriel up with her, joining the group. Everything in this moment felt perfect. The world could have stopped spinning or caught fire, and it wouldn't have mattered because right now, Adrien was perfectly content with where he was.

They all broke apart and went back to their respective seating. Alya and Marinette were both admiring the ring while Adrien and Nino shrugged at each. "Well, we all know who's next." Tom smirked as he kissed his wife's cheek. He was looking directly as Marinette and Adrien.

Marinette's mouth dropped open and Adrien was pretty sure she was going to scold him, but it seemed that she had lost her voice. Adrien laughed and wrapped his arm around his girlfriend who had seemed to have stopped functioning. "Maybe some day, but they do have over 4 years on us." Adrien said.

"Exactly," Marinette squeaked, glancing over at her boyfriend. The last week and a half of helping Nino get everything planned out for this proposal had definitely made that thought cross her mind, but to hear someone else voice it made her heart speed up a few beats.

"We've got time," Adrien kissed her forehead and knew that all eyes were on them.

"Don't wait too long, I would prefer grandchildren at some point." Adrien almost fell off the couch at his father's words. He caught Marinette and dragged her back onto the couch.

"Father!" Now it was his turn to have no words.

"Aha, just kidding." Gabriel laughed. It wasn't a cool calm collected laugh either. It was something that was true and pure. Something that Adrien hadn't witnessed since his mother's disappearance. The group all fell into laughter and Marinette relaxed into his hold, a smile crossing her features. She fiddled with the silver bracelet that rested on her wrist, and glanced over at her mother. Adrien watched Sabine wink at Marinette and wondered what it was about before turning his attention back to the rest of the group.

The evening carried on for a few more hours. Nathalie fell asleep on Gabriel's shoulder, Adrien's bodyguard left to head home, Alya and Nino departed in order to go announce their engagement to their own families. Adrien carried a sleepy Marinette upstairs when Sabine motioned for them to head up. Tom moved the ottoman back to the couch so that Gabriel and Nathalie could sleep there and gathered a few blankets and pillows for them as well. He lent Gabriel some clothing so that he could get out of his suit for the evening.

Adrien was going to say that he was surprised that his father had agreed to any of that, but then again, he had seen a new side of his father tonight that he wasn't used to. Maybe there was such a thing as Christmas spirit after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's only Halloween (which is my favorite holiday, and I also got my Ladybug costume in the mail today so I'm even more excited for it!) but I think we can all appreciate a happy holiday fic! I know, I kinda sprung that engagement on you, but I mean, we all saw it coming! I hope you guys liked it!  
> Thanks for reading! (Also if anyone is good with art and draws fanart of this fic, please comment the link so that I can appreciate the heck out of your work)


	17. Skates and Kisses

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is their Christmas Day, if you want to avoid the minor smut and makeout stuff, you can just scroll until you see the **************. That's where the rest of the story picks up. Nothing super important happens in the beginning, but it's what I wanted to happen between them, so I figured to make sure that it doesn't offend anyone if they didn't want to read that. Happy Reading!

Marinette nuzzled into Adrien's chest, she knew it was close to midnight, but she wasn't sure what time it really was. "You awake dear?" Adrien whispered into her ear.

"Maybe," She yawned.

"Merry Christmas." Adrien sighed with content. He rolled onto his back and pulled her with him so that she was sprawled on top of him.

"Merry Christmas Adrien," Marinette glanced up with half lidded eyes and kissed her boyfriend. The soft kiss turned into a few lazy kisses. Soon she felt more awake and pulled away to study his face. "I take it that it's past midnight?"

"It's exactly midnight. Sorry that I woke you up, but I was too excited not to." Adrien grinned. Marinette marveled at it. When they had first become friends, she was used to his model smile being the dominant one, but since then, it had truly faded into something he used with people he didn't really care about. Now he smiled with pure emotion and it always felt like the sun was shining, even if it was the middle of the night.

"Hmm, I guess I can forgive you if you kiss me again," Marinette smirked at the blonde boy who raised his eyebrows.

"Is that so?" He asked cupping her cheek with one of his hands.

"It is," He pulled her down to him and kissed her with a little more enthusiasm than he had before. His hand that wasn't cupping her face trailed down her back and pulled up her tank top fabric. He was quick to break away and pull it over her head. Marinette felt her heart skip a beat for a moment. Adrien didn't make her nervous, but sometimes she felt awkward, this was all still new to her, even though it had been a few days of them ending up without most of their clothes, but they always stopped at the last second, pulling away and cuddling for the rest of the evening.

Adrien smiled at her, but something in his eyes told Marinette that he had an idea. He grabbed her and held her tight as he flipped them both so that Marinette laid beneath him. "One of these days you'll tell me where you learned to do that," She teased as he leaned down and nipped at her neck.

"I don't think so, my love." He smirked as he came back up to her lips. She leaned up to kiss him and surprised him by biting his lower lip. She pulled at it slightly before letting go. "Or maybe I will if you tell me where you learned that."

"Alya," She laughed as he pushed her back down so that she was laying flat. Adrien pressed chaste kisses to her neck before sucking at the spot where her neck met her chest. She gasped and arched her back slightly. Taking his chance, he slipped his hand behind her and undid her bra clasp with ease. How he had learned how to do that so quickly, she had no idea, but she didn't mind one bit. She slipped the straps off her shoulders and glanced back up at him. Even in the darkness, she could make out the outline of his face and could see his green eyes practically glowing in the moonlight that drifted through her skylight.

Adrien brought his mouth back to hers as his thumb lightly ghosted over her chest. She shuddered beneath him and had to remind herself to breathe. It was moments like this that she had the tendency to switch over to manual breathing. She ran her fingers through his hair and felt his tongue run across her lips. A month ago she would have shied away at his action, but tonight she opened her mouth quickly and ran her tongue against his. His hand squeezed and she broke away to gasp again. Heat rushed to her cheeks and she bit her lip as he kissed back down her chest and across her stomach.

"How did I get so lucky?" He whispered as he rested his chin on her lower stomach. "You're strong, beautiful, funny, kind, loving, creative," He began to press a kiss with each word. "Amazing, intelligent, elegant, stubborn."

"I thought you were complimenting me Agreste." Marinette muttered as she tried to squirm away.

"I am, your stubbornness is admirable. You face any challenge and work at it until you beat it." Adrien pushed himself up so that he was kneeling between her legs. "I love you and everything about you. From your personality, to how you treat others, to how gorgeous you are, to the fact that you helped Nino set everything up for this evening. God, you're so talented." Adrien continued and pulled Marinette up so that they were looking eye to eye.

"Careful my love, you are confessing your love just like how Nino did tonight. I might begin to expect something if you keep that up." Marinette winked at him in a manner that told him that she was trying to be sarcastic, but he could also she her shy smile at his words.

"Not tonight, but one day." Adrien promised. He hadn't really thought about it, but subconsciously he had begun to integrate Marinette into his future ever since that first kiss as Chat Noir. He had thought about how badly he wanted her to stay in his life for as long as he lived. He wanted to model only for her if he continued modeling at all. He wanted to move into an apartment with her and possibly Alya and Nino too. He wanted to see the world with Marinette after he helped Ladybug stop Hawk Moth.

"Adrien," Marinette reached out and stroked his cheek. "Do you mean it?"

"Always," he held her hand where it was. "I love you Marinette, and when I look forward, I see you by my side. We're still young, we still have time. We don't have to be perfect, but you are perfect to me."

"I'm unperfect." Marinette smiled. "You're the one who's perfect. You make others smile even when you're feeling down, you're loyal and protect those who mean the most to you, you don't let anyone pick on your friends, you're so smart, and god that smile should be illegal it's so wonderful. You are amazing."

"You're perfect for me," Adrien kissed her fiercely, hoping to stop her from thinking about imperfections she thought she had. He meant every word, he believed Marinette was perfect in every way.

Soon the two fell back onto the bed, kicking off their pants. They kissed and touched each other for a little while longer before they fell asleep wrapped up in themselves. The sun peaked through too early. Marinette covered her eyes and groaned. She reached for Adrien, but was surprised to feel the bed was empty. It was still warm, so she knew he couldn't have gone far. She listened and found that she could hear her shower starting below her. A cold breeze brushed her skin and she glared up at her open skylight.

"Either get in here kitty or stay out." Marinette grumbled, spotting the black cat squatting above her. He dropped through the window on top of her.

"How did you," Marinette cut him off as she yanked him down to her level. 

"You made me cold." She pouted. Chat Noir couldn't help but suddenly feel bad. She was just waking up and he had learned over the past few days that a barely awake Marinette was a force to be reckoned with. He had to carry her downstairs every morning if he wanted her out of bed before 10.

"Can I warm you up, princess?" Chat offered, running his hand along her face.

"Please." Chat thought that her giggle was the most beautiful sound she could make, but her saying please right now both froze and thawed his blood in the same moment. He smashed his lips to hers and picked up where they had left off last night, his hands running across her bare skin. While he couldn't quite enjoy it the same when he was Chat Noir, he could still enjoy pulling the small gasps and whines from her lips.

He pulled away the blankets and yanked them back across both of them. He ran his hands along her hips and she broke away from his lips. "What happened to your claws kitty?" Marinette asked, realizing that she wasn't feeling the same scrape against her skin that she had grown used to.

"Well, my suit's magic so I willed myself to not have claws today. I thought that they may interfere." He explained.

"Interfere with what?" Marinette frowned at him. She was used to Chat's antics at this point, but he still managed to surprise her. She knew he had mentioned to Ladybug that their suits could be willed to whatever they wanted, but she hadn't messed around with her at all since it got the job done.

Chat thought for a moment before letting his fingers with the waist band of Marinette's panties. Her cheeks flamed red and he leaned down to whisper in her ear. "We don't have to do anything you don't want to, but I thought it might make a good Christmas gift. Besides, I would love to unwrap you this morning." His words made Marinette whimper and Chat would do anything to hear that again.

He kissed her cheek. "It's up to you though, my princess."

"Please, minou," Marinette's new nickname made his breath catch. He leaned back in to kiss her and gently ran his fingers between her legs, pulling low groans from her throat, he swallowed them in an attempt to keep her quiet. As much as he wanted to hear her, he didn't want anyone else downstairs to here the couple. He pulled her panties away and went back to the same motion he had before. He gently nudged her legs apart and laid down between her legs, his eyes still on here to watch her reactions. He dipped his finger inside her and listened to her whine as her back arched up.

Chat curled his finger and leaned in to run his tongue along her clit, making her reach out and grab onto his hair and pull. Today was not gentle tugging either, it was pulling and making his hair tug at the roots. He hummed against her in response and wanted to grin as she panted. "Chaton,"

He loved to hear the nicknames fall from her lips in such a manner. He sucked hard and added a second finger, pumping them in slowly. She slapped a hand across her mouth as he moved and he was only slightly disappointed to hear her cover her own moans. "Chat, I'm close." She muttered.

He wanted to tease her, but he knew that he didn't want to do that. He still had to jump back into the shower and get his hair wet before he left. He had only done this because he knew she wanted to see Chat today and because wearing the suit gave him the extra confidence boost that he needed to go through with this. Instead of making any comments, he swirled his tongue and curled his fingers like he had before. "Chat," She moaned and Chat couldn't help but feel proud that this was all his doing. She clenched around him before she threw her hand across her face and panted in an attempt to calm down after that.

*********************

"Merry Christmas, Marinette. I've gotta get home, but I'm glad I could see you. I love you." He leaned up and kissed her quickly before her reopened her skylight. He was about to jump through when a yank on his tail brought him back down.

"Merry Christmas Chat Noir, but you don't get to leave without my gift to you." Marinette smirked. She handed him two small gifts. One was a tube and the other was a small box. "Open them at home. I love you too, but you should leave before Adrien gets out of the shower or you're missed by your family."

"Thank you, I appreciate this so much. You'll see my gift tonight, just look up." Chat smiled before finally jumping through the glass and shutting it behind him. He climbed back through the bathroom window and detransformed. Landing back in the shower as Plagg moaned and groaned about how gross humans were, Adrien couldn't help but wonder what Marinette had gotten him. He knew the tube had to be a drawing, but he wasn't sure about the small box. He shut off the shower and stepped out. He wrapped himself in a towel and hid the gifts in his dirty clothes. As he stepped out, tucked them into his bag and dumped the dirty clothes into the laundry bin. He quickly pulled on the sweatshirt and pajama pants that he had been told to wear this morning for the gift opening. He grabbed the pajamas that he knew Marinette had wanted to wear this morning and jumped back up onto the bed.

"Good morning, my love." He set down her clothes and dropped down onto the bed beside her. She held the sheet to her body and he smirked at her, knowing that she hadn't probably gotten any of her clothes off her floor.

"Good morning," She spoke quietly.

"How did you sleep?"

"Better when you were still in bed."

"I'm surprised you're awake. I was expecting to come back to more sleepy cuddles." Marinette muttered something so quietly that he couldn't understand her. "Huh?"

"Chat Noir stopped by," She kept her eyes down.

"Oh?" Adrien leaned in. "Did he give you a Christmas gift?"

"Kinda," Marinette shoved her face into her pillow.

"Care to share?" She said something into the pillow and Adrien was under the impression it had something to do with the words not at all. He ran his hand across her back. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

She turned her head and quickly said, "An orgasm," before she shoved her face back into the pillow.

He stopped, he couldn't tease her when she was already this embarrassed. "I see," He crawled under the blankets and pulled her to him. "And why are you embarrassed?"

"Because I'm dating both you and it feels like it's a game between you of who gets what first. But I know that's not how it is, and I love you both, but like," she threw her hands and dropped them. "It's like this, I care about you the same, but I worry that you get more attention, but then I give Chat more attention and I worry that you'll be jealous and I just feel like this is difficult."

"I'm not jealous at all. As long as you're comfortable with everything, I don't mind about your relationship with Chat. I know you love us both, I don't mind that." Adrien said as he kissed the back of her neck.

"You don't?"

"Not at all. I wouldn't be a good boyfriend if I got jealous of your other boyfriend. And as much as I would love to stay in bed all day and talk about this, it is almost 7 and that's when the day really starts since it's Christmas, right?" Adrien pointed out.

"You're perfect, hand me my clothes?" She asked. Adrien leaned over and snatched them. He watched her sit up and yank the sweatshirt on before snatching the pink leggings and yanking them under the covers and up her legs. "Now let's go. We need to get the hot chocolate ready."

They rushed downstairs and quietly moved past the couch where Nathalie and Gabriel still slept. Adrien glanced at them from the kitchen and smiled. His father had Nathalie tucked into his chest like he was protecting her. Marinette poked his side and he jumped, almost spilling the jar of condensed milk that he had been opening. She gave him a pointed look and held out the slow cooker, letting him dump the can into it. They dumped in cocoa powder, heavy cream, milk, vanilla extract, some chocolate chips and mixed it before letting it simmer. Marinette grabbed Adrien's hand and their aprons from last night before yanking him out the door and down to the bakery.

"Reporting for duty!" She announced as they skidded to a stop behind the counter. The line was all the way out the store and they had thirty minutes until they closed.

"Run the counter dears, we'll finish everyone's orders up." Sabine said pushing Marinette to take her place as she moved to help Tom with handing out the custom orders. The time flew by as Marinette and Adrien teamed up to tackle the orders from the customers who hadn't ordered ahead. By the end of it, the last customer ducked out and the case was almost empty.

"That was crazy, I don't think it was even that busy last year." Marinette exclaimed as she leaned onto the counter.

"I didn't know it was possible to be that crazy!" Adrien said as he swept the floor in front of the register.

Tom locked the doors. "Thanks for your help kids, but I think we should probably head upstairs." The four left their aprons on hooks next to the door and dashed up the stairs. They walked into the living room quietly before they realized that both Gabriel and Nathalie were up and had folded the blankets and moved the ottoman back to where it belonged.

"This is lovely hot chocolate, you guys did wonderful." Nathalie smiled at them from the kitchen bar top.

"Thanks, that was my first time making it!" Adrien said as he took the seat next to her. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas." Gabriel smiled at them from the kitchen table. "Thank you for allowing us to stay the night yesterday."

"Any time." Tom said as he scooped out enough mugs for everyone and then an extra one for when Adrien's bodyguard returned with their gifts. 

"I was surprised to see Alya and Nino get engaged last night. They're still young." Gabriel said as he accepted the mug.

"They've been together for four years," Adrien defended.

"No, I think you mistook my statement, son. I was surprised to see them get engaged last night since they're still in high school. I would have thought they'd wait until graduation." Gabriel reexplained himself, but Adrien decided to ignore it.

"I do believe they don't spend as much time in your home as they do here, Gabriel. Those two are more in love than most newly weds. If anyone should be engaged at their age, at least it's them." Sabine explained as she took a seat on the couch. Tom opened the door and let their bodyguard in who held a armful of gifts. "Oh my, you do look cold. How about some cocoa?" She offered as she took the presents from his arms and set them under the tree and Tom placed a warm mug into his hands. The man looked slightly bewildered, but grateful all the same. Adrien plopped down on the couch next to Nathalie and Marinette sat next to him, leaning her head onto his shoulder.

Marinette was happy to have a peaceful morning after how she had woke up. She wasn't complaining in any way, shape, or form, but it was not what she had been expecting of today. She glanced up at the blonde man next to her and smiled as he caught her staring. "This is delicious," He said pressing his sticky lips to her forehead.

"Thank you, but you did help." Marinette pointed out as she went back to letting her head rest against his shoulder.

"Hmm, you're not wrong my love." He dropped his arm around her shoulders. Right here was where he was happy, being able to hold Marinette and spend time with both of their families, he wasn't sure when it would happen again so he would enjoy it while it lasted.

A gift would have hit his chest, but Marinette caught it with her right hand and gently set it in her hand. "Don't make him spill his chocolate, Maman," Marinette scolded as her mother grinned at them.

"Sorry Adrien, I forgot for a moment how light that one was." Sabine sat down beside the tree and picked up her mug that was still steaming.

"That's alright." He caught the second gift that would have hit Marinette in the face and held it out for her to take from him.

"Thank you." She gave her mom a stern look as she pulled the ribbon from it. She opened the box and frowned. "Is that?" 

"Well, your father and I knew that you got your acceptance letter at IFA, and since you were planning on getting an apartment between there and your internship, we figure this might be appropriate." Sabine explained.

Marinette pulled out the key fob that laid inside. "Maman, Papa," Marinette said quietly as she stared at the keys.

"It's nothing fancy, just a way for you to drive back and forth without being late." Tom shrugged. Marinette untucked herself from Adrien's side and ran over to hug both of her parents.

"Thank you!" She stared at the key ring for a moment longer. "What is it though?"

"Well I thought you'd be safer in a car, but your mother." Tom glanced at his wife.

"We bought you a Piaggio Mp3. It's not brand new, but it still looks pretty nice." Sabine explained.

"A scooter? Wow! Thank you so much!" She kissed both of her parents before she tucked the keys into her pocket.

Adrien snapped the ribbon on top of his box and opened it. Inside sat a bronze key on a ribbon. He lifted it out and glanced at Marinette's parents in confusion. "A key?" He asked. 

"That's a key to here, that way you can come over whenever you wish." Sabine watched Gabriel's reaction, wondering if he was going to be angry, but he simply sipped his hot chocolate and nodded.

"Oh! Thank you, I appreciate it." Adrien's cheeks tinted pinked as he let Marinette drop back down next to him. He swallowed back the tears. He didn't even have a key to his own home, everything there was automated. He just pressed his palm to the scanner to get inside if no one else was there.

Nathalie opened a gift from Gabriel and smiled softly a him. It was a necklace that was designed to look like the tail of a peacock. Marinette had gazed at it curiously, wondering if it had some meaning towards the missing peacock miraculous, but she brushed that thought aside as her mother opened her gift. It was a quilted cook book that Marinette had designed herself. Marinette gently handed Adrien a square package that he picked up and stared at. It was a bright red and had black and red polka dot bow on top of it. He gently peeled away the paper and stared at the item inside. It was a scrapbook of all the memories they had together. He flipped open the first page and saw their class photo from when they were 14. The next several pages were they're younger days together until the photo of their selfie at the ice rink with Luka and Kagami. He smiled as he realized that while the 4 hadn't paired up as planned, Luka and Kagami had hit it off and ended up dating after that. The last picture in the book was one he hadn't seen before. It was one of him dipping her on the photo shoot that they had just done together.

"This is beautiful. I love it so much," He finally said as he closed it and kissed her. He blinked away the tears that were threatening to spill over. It was obvious that Marinette had worked hard on the whole project, it had to have taken her weeks.

"I'm glad. I couldn't decide on what I wanted to do, but I thought that this made the most sense." She explained, keeping her head ducked to hide her blush. She was so happy that he had liked it. She hadn't found a single thing that she had wanted to buy, and designing clothes for the son of a fashion designer didn't seem quite right, so she had struggled with knowing what to get him at all. Alya had suggested a picture frame, but Marinette had taken that a step further.

Adrien went to pass Marinette the gift that he had gotten her, but was surprised to see his father already handing her a box and an envelope. One was in the shape and design of the clothes boxes that his company sold at Christmas and the envelope was a light pink with her name printed in grey. "Open the box first, it is less explanatory than the envelope." Nathalie explained. Marinette snapped the tape at the edges and lifted the lid, surprised to find a blouse peaking out at her. She lifted the soft pink material and spotted a black pencil skirt beneath it. She lifted that out and spotted a black jacket beneath it. One glance at the tag confirmed her suspicions that these clothes were in fact Gabriel's own designs.

"These are gorgeous." She said as she marveled at the softness of the fabric that still was sturdy and probably warm enough to wear in the winter.

"Thank you. Forgive me, but I figured your first day at the internship would be done right if you wore these." Gabriel smiled at her. Adrien wasn't surprised that his father had gifted her clothes, but he was surprised that he was smiling again. It was unlike him.

Marinette slid her finger along the edge of the envelope and quickly swore before sticking her finger in her mouth. "Paper cut," she explained when Adrien and his father both looked at her in shock. Nathalie gave her a knowing look, but her parents laughed as Sabine pulled a band aid from her pocket.

"It was bound to happen to you either last night of this morning, dear." Sabine said with a chuckle. Adrien took the band aid and quickly wrapped it around Marinette's finger. He took the envelope from her and opened it the rest of the way before handing it back to her.

"Thanks," She kissed his hand and pulled out the plastic card inside. It was black with a silver curled signature of Gabriel across the front. "I don't understand." Marinette said looking over at Gabriel and Nathalie.

"Well, you usually get that your first day of work, but since you're working with Adrien in shoots and you'll be modeling the Ladybug and Chat Noir lines, we decided it would be a good idea for Christmas," Nathalie explained.

"That right there is not only your way to enter the building at Gabriel, but it also allows you to go into any of our stores and buy the clothing without it costing you a dime. Just one of the perks of interning with us." Gabriel said. Nathalie was bubbling with excitement, but Gabriel sat there with a small smile that told her all she needed to know.

"Everyone at your company has one?" Marinette asked, weighing out the cost of the gift. It seemed like too much, unless truly everyone had one.

"Indeed. They work for me, they should dress their best." Gabriel shrugged. Marinette stared at it in surprise.

"Thank you, I don't know what to say." Marinette said placing it in her pocket, next to her keys.

"Your thanks is enough."

Marinette's parents exchanged gifts, Tom receiving a new controller and the latest version of Mecha Strike and Sabine receiving the newest book by her favorite author. Gabriel opened his gift from Nathalie and pulled out a new watch that she had designed herself. He had kissed her cheek, causing Adrien to turn away from them. Marinette felt bad knowing that Adrien still wasn't used to them being in a relationship. She rubbed circles into his hand that she had started holding after opening his father's gifts. Adrien picked up the bag that he had gotten her and set it gently in her lap while the parents were busy talking about the wedding.

She glanced at him and smiled as she quietly pulled the paper out and set it aside. Inside was a new sketchbook and drafting pencils, a pair of soft slippers, a pack of her favorite caramels, a sleep mask that had cat ears and whiskers, and a small box. She pulled out the box and recognized it as a jewelry box. She snapped it open and stared at the contents in surprise. Inside sat a necklace that had an opal shaped like a heart and a silver ring. It looked liked two bands that wound around each other and two small hearts that interlocked in the middle. "While you helped Nino, Alya helped me. However, that's not an engagement ring. It's just a promise that I'll love you forever." Adrien whispered.

Now it was Marinette's time to blink hard to keep the tears at bay. She pulled out the ring and placed it on her finger, surprised that it fit perfectly. She was going to have to figure out just how Alya got her measurements later. Adrien pulled out the necklace and fumbled with the clasp for a moment before he was able to reconnect it and let it hang around Marinette's neck. That's when Marinette realized the room was quiet as the rest of the adults stared at them.

"That's a great choice Adrien. It suits you well, dear." Sabine smiled and touched Tom's arm who was covering his mouth with his hand like he was thinking hard.

"Indeed, I have to agree with Sabine," Gabriel said, but Nathalie stayed quiet as she flashed them a full smile.

Sabine nodded before she passed a gift over to Nathalie and Gabriel. "We thought that you might appreciate this, we certainly appreciated it after our wedding." Tom explained as the couple opened the gift together. Inside was a box, hammer, nails, and two journals. "It's for you to write your vows in and hammer shut. After a year together, you open the box together and read them."

"Thank you, this is wonderful." Nathalie gushed as she pulled out the journals and ran her hands across them. The box's top was engraved with their names and their wedding date.

"We look forward to being able to use it." Gabriel nodded. Gabriel then scooped a blue box off the ground and passed it over to Adrien. Adrien opened it and stared at the contents with surprise. 

"Mom's camera." Adrien's words were soft as he gently lifted it out of the box.

"I wanted to buy you one, but then I remembered that this was still in our room. It doesn't work anymore, but I thought you still might like it more." Gabriel couldn't meet his son's eyes.

"This is the best present you've ever gotten me, father." Adrien stood up and hugged his father and Nathalie. Marinette touched her lips and could feel the smile beneath her fingers. She was impressed by Gabriel's behavior change. He was beginning to show emotion and care about Adrien than Marinette had witnessed before.

Adrien grabbed a gift off the floor and handed it to Gabriel and Nathalie. "Here," he said as he sat down on the floor in front of Marinette. She wrapped her arms around him and rested her chin on top of his head. She saw her mom pull out her phone and snap a picture, but she would have to get that from her later.

Inside sat a picture frame. It was a picture that Adrien had found a week ago on his tablet that his mother had taken years ago. Nathalie had been holding Adrien while his father had stood with them, laughing at a joke that his mother had told. It was a happy picture that made Adrien smile because he could still imagine his mom standing behind the camera, laughing at the same joke as she snapped the picture. Gabriel touched the frame and glanced up at his son.

"Good job," the words were simple, but their meaning was clear as day. Adrien squeezed Marinette's arms and she smiled.

"Last one," she pointed to the gift in front of Adrien's feet. He nudged it towards her parents and Tom picked it up off the floor.

"What's this?" He asked as they both pulled out aprons, oven mitts and chef hats.

"I thought the bakery could use an updated logo. I hope you like it." She smiled as her dad ran his finger across the logo.

"I didn't know you could outdo yourself, but these are fantastic! I can't wait to wear it tomorrow!" He exclaimed as he threw it on.

"Papa, you can't wear that ice skating." Marinette laughed and felt Adrien's chest rumble beneath her arms.

"Watch me!"

He did not wear the apron to ice skating. Gabriel and Nathalie had went home to change while Adrien and Marinette helped her parents clean up the mess of the living room and kitchen. Soon they were dressed warmly and heading to the rink at Champ de Mars. They almost immediately spotted Alya and Nino and skated over to them. "How did your parents take it?" Marinette asked after she crashed into Alya.

"They were so happy about it. However my dad did remind Nino that marriage does not mean he can lapse in respecting me. I think we're fine there though." Alya laughed. "The only downer right now is that I have to wear gloves and cover it up."

"Oh well," Marinette grinned. "I have to take my glove off for you anyways." Marinette tugged it off and showed Alya the promise ring that Adrien had given her. Her best friend tackled her to the ground with a shriek.

"Oh I'm so proud of him! I knew there was a reason he asked me to do that! It's gorgeous!" Alya said as Nino dragged her back to her feet. Adrien scooped Marinette off the ground.

"Are we always going to have to pick you two up?" Nino groaned as he sat Alya over his shoulder and skated away.

"Hey! We were talking." Marinette exclaimed.

Adrien grabbed her hand and they took off after their friends. The group circled the rink a few hundred times, sometimes drifting near the adults, sometimes just racing each other to see who could gain the most speed. It ended up that Marinette could go the fastest, but they had to take a break when she used all three of them to stop herself from colliding with a wall. They sat off to the side of the rink, sipping at the hot cider that a vendor was selling.

"This is the best Christmas ever," Marinette sighed.

"True that." Alya nodded.

"I have to say, it was nice celebrating with my whole family." Adrien smiled.

"It was nice, especially since I now have my future wife by my side." Nino kissed Alya's temple and the rest of the group all smiled at each other in content. It felt like this year was the year. There was no akumas, no bad family relationships, no problems, they were almost done with school, it felt like life couldn't possibly get better than this. Everyone was happy, and that was what mattered. Then the first reporter appeared.

"This is Nadja Chamack, don't be bemused, it's just the news. I'm here at Champs de Mars with model Adrien Agreste and his girlfriend Marinette Dupain-Cheng along with the owner of the Ladyblog and one of the youngest, but most well known DJ's that Paris has seen. Tell me, how is this Christmas being spent by some of Paris' favorite young adults?" Nadja sat down on the bench next to Adrien. Marinette was tempted to say in private and skate off, but she knew better than that. Only Ladybug was allowed to fly off from reporters, not plain Marinette.

"We're just enjoying the sunny day. Skating and cider with family is the best way to spend Christmas with family." Adrien smiled and leaned closer to Marinette, his hand gripping her waist tighter than usual.

"I see. According to the buzz, it sounds like you lovebirds have intentions to tie the knot." Nadja continued.

Marinette glanced at Alya and Nino who were both grinning. "That's correct, he asked last night at our party and I couldn't say no," Alya said as she pulled off her glove to show off her ring.

"Was this a friend pact then? I was referring to the image currently circling the internet of Adrien and Marinette cuddling with a ring on her left hand," Nadja waved her own finger in comparison and Marinette's wind burned cheeks paled out.

"What?" Adrien spluttered. Nadja showed the couple the image on her phone and it was the one Marinette's mom had taken it. She had posted it to her Facebook account and one of her friends had shared it with the comment of congratulations to Adrien and Marinette.

"The fans want to know, what lead to this sudden engagement? Is there something more to your relationship?" She pressed further.

"No, there's not. We're not engaged." Marinette stated firmly. The fire in her eyes was usually reserved for when she was dressed in red and black.

"This picture seems to say otherwise." Nadja said waving her phone.

"It's just a picture though. We've been together for only about 2 months now. It's a promise ring," Marinette said pulling off her glove. The camera zoomed on her hand. Nadja glanced between her, the ring, Adrien, and their friends.

"So no friend pact for engagement?" The group all shook their heads.

"Oh well, but don't forget to keep us in the know for when you two do decide to tie the knot." Nadja stood up and signed off the air before they walked away.

"DAMN GIRL!" Alya shouted.

"What?" Marinette said gripping Adrien's side in shock.

"You took over that interview and rocked it!" Her friend said slamming her empty cup on the table.

"I just told the truth?" Marinette shrugged.

"I gotta admit, that was incredible. I don't think I've seen you tell a reporter off like that before." Adrien smirked.

"OH she has, you missed the one that spotted us at the mall and asked her what she was buying you for Christmas. She threatened to tell Ladybug on him." Alya laughed and leaned into Nino who was nodding.

"You did?"

"I might have mentioned that I knew how to get a message to her." Marinette bit her lip, regretting that one. She had been approached much more often in her civilian form than she was used to. It didn't help to know that she used to babysit Nadja's daughter and so it felt weird to be interviewed rather than talked with.

"Do you?" Adrien asked, poking her cheek so that it came off more sarcastic than inquisitive.

"Duh, I have her favorite blogger as my best friend. I'd have Alya reach out for me." Marinette waved her hand at her friend before she noticed that there was more people standing around them. "I think it's time to move on."

"Why? Oh," Nino said as he too noticed there was a group starting to form with their phones out.

"Alright, are we doing the clothes swap or are we just making a skate for it?" Alya asked as she leaned across the table.

"Return the skates and run for it." Marinette nodded as she quickly texted her mom who was still on the rink. She saw her mom raise her thumbs up in the air. "It's a go. Let's go," They walked to the stand and shoved on their boots before trying to slip behind the rental tent.

"They went that way!" Someone shouted.

"Run!" Adrien said as he took Marinette's hand. Alya and Nino ran along behind them.

"Meet back at the bakery." Marinette called as they went two seperate ways. Nino and Alya ran the direction that would be more direct while Adrien and Marinette took the way that would take them through the less traveled roads. They stopped in an alley in someone's doorway. The listened as the group that had followed them ran past the entrance and kept going. Soon it began to clear. "Alright, I think it's," Adrien cut her off with a kiss. He ran his hands down her sides and pulled her close to him. He pulled away and stole the rest of her breath from her lungs.

"Sorry, felt like the right thing to do," Adrien was then cut off by Marinette kissing him.

"Don't interrupt me," she whispered against his lips.

"I'll take not of that." Adrien whispered. "They're gone, should we run home or?"

"We should."

"But?"

"But I like to kiss you." Her lips reconnected with his and he pushed her against the brick wall of the doorway that they had hid out in. The world had already seen enough of them today, maybe it could ignore them long enough to enjoy this.


	18. Wedding Bells are Ringing

Eventually Adrien and Marinette ran the rest of the way home, complaining that they had to run farther to beat the fans. Neither Nino nor Alya looked impressed, but they used Adrien's new key to get into the Marinette's home. They all rushed to the kitchen and prepped it for the afternoon of decorating cookies. Once they were all set up, the adults finally arrived. "Adrien, Nathalie and I have to go, our flight leaves in an hour." Gabriel announced as he entered the home. Sabine gave him a look  of utter disbelief and disappointment that Marinette held her tongue.

"You aren't able to stay?" Adrien frowned.

"I told you before this all happened that it would be difficult. I will see you New Years Eve." Gabriel leaned down and hugged his son, but he didn't have to lean down as far as he used to. 

"Okay," Adrien's tone made Marinette force down her anger. Nathalie came and hugged everyone goodbye, even Alya and Nino. She stood in the doorway a moment longer and glanced back.

"I'm sorry, I tried." She nodded at Marinette and waved at Adrien before closing the door behind her.

The rest of the evening was spent decorating cookies with too much sugar and sprinkles, watching some of the most classic Christmas films of all time, and trying to rid the cold from their bones after their afternoon spent running around town. Adrien and Marinette fell into bed shortly after Alya and Nino left. Marinette didn't even bother with pajamas, she kicked off her jeans and her sweatshirt and snuggled into the warm sheets on her bed. Adrien collapsed next to her, half out of shirt, but it was stuck on his shoulder.

"I think I'm stuck." Marinette snorted and helped him peel it off. She found herself leaning over him and took advantage of her position by kissing his nose.

"You're adorable," Adrien sighed. Then his brow furrowed. "What's that?"

Marinette followed his gaze and looked up at her skylight. Sitting on the glass was a small wrapped gift. "That cat." She muttered, a smile crossing her features. She sat up and carefully pushed the glass up, she jumped through, grabbed the box, and jumped back onto the bed allowing the glass to slam shut behind her.

"Did Chat Noir leave you a Christmas gift?" Adrien asked, playing with an ribbon that was hanging off the box and in front of his face.

"Seems so, since he signed it with a tiny paw print." Marinette rolled her eyes at how extra he could be sometimes. Adrien smirked, knowing that it had taken a lot of cheese promises to get Plagg to agree to do that for him. "I did give him his present earlier and he did promise he would leave mine up there tonight."

Marinette gently pulled away the ribbons and unfolded her paper as if it were as delicate as glass itself. She lifted the lid of the red box inside and covered her mouth as the black metal shined against the light of her room. "What's the note say?" 

Marinette pulled out the small note in the case and read aloud, "My princess, this is for your other hand, love your chaton." She smiled softly and gently removed the black ring out of the container. It was similar to Adrien's, except it had two bands that ran side by side and the center had two green paws that overlapped. She had no idea how Chat could have possibly found a ring like this, but it was so personal that she couldn't help but love it. Adrien took it from her and slid it onto her other finger, the gesture surprised her and she smiled at him.

"You really don't mind that our relationship is like this, do you?" Marinette asked. Adrien looked up at the single tear running down her face. He reached out and gently wiped it away as he shook his head. "You're amazing, Adrien."

Her words were the only praise he ever needed to hear anymore. It no longer mattered to him how terrible of a parent his father had become, even if he had tried more in the last 24 hours than he had in years. It didn't matter that Adrien felt like his father and Nathalie weren't meant for each other, but that he had forced himself to be happy for them, all that mattered to him was that his true family was there for him. Marinette and her kindness, Nino and his ability to always make him smile on his worse days, Alya and her playful demeanor, even Marinette's parents that had taken him in as if he was their own. They were the ones that mattered. He would always love his dad and even Nathalie, but he understood now that sometimes it didn't matter who your blood family was, sometimes it just mattered who you let stay in your life because of how they made you feel.

Marinette reached towards Adrien's face and mimicked his actions, gently wiping away the tears that were forming in the corners of his eyes. "Why are you crying?" She asked as more tears dripped down her face, not sure if she was upset that he was crying or if she was still touched by both of her boyfriends buying her a ring for Christmas.

"Because, I'm so glad I have you. It feels like you're the reason that I'm able to stand with my head up through all of this. I know that you've always been my friend, but when we're together it," He took a deep breath and smiled at her. "It feels like everything is okay even if it's complicated. I feel like I can go and stand at my father's wedding as long as I can stare at your face the entire time."

Marinette laughed, the tears fading with time. "I know what you mean. With you next to me, it feels like anything is possible." Marinette laid down on her back. Adrien sat up and ran his eyes over her form for a moment. He tentatively leaned down and rested his head on her chest. She stroked his head and he tucked his legs between hers. Marinette felt her eyes slowly close as Adrien took one of her hands and thread his fingers between hers.

"Goodnight princess." He whispered once he was sure she was asleep.

And like the past few nights, without waking up at all, she whispered, "Nuh night chaton."

The next several days were easy going, for the teens. They each became more relaxed in their routine and enjoyed having each other to depend on. The morning of New Years Eve though, both teens pretended to sleep longer, even though they were aware the other was fully awake. "Marinette?" Adrien finally said as he pulled her back closer to his chest.

"Yeah?"

"I'm nervous."

"About what?"

"Today's the wedding, and I want them to be happy, but what if I mess up?" Marinette rolled over to face him.

"Adrien, how would you mess up?" She asked. His eyes had circles under them, letting her know that he hadn't truly slept the night before. His hair was messier than most mornings and reminded her of Chat's that time that Stormy Weather had blown him halfway across Paris.

"Say the wrong thing, drop the rings, hell, run out of there the second the thing starts? I don't know what to do, Marinette." He said closing his eyes and resting his forehead against hers.

"Adrien Agreste, you are the most kind, loving, intelligent man in our class. I think you will know exactly what to do when the time comes. All you have to do is stand there and smile. You won't drop the rings, I'm the clumsy one, remember." Marinette earned a chuckle from his as he opened his eyes and looked at her through his lashes.

"You are quite clumsy, my love."

"And you catch me every time. You can do this. If you really want them to be happy, you'll do this for them. Besides, everything is going to go according to plan. We just need to do our parts and smile and have a good time. It will be good practice for when our best friends get married." Marinette leaned in and kissed him gently.

"Mmm, or good practice for the future," Adrien winked and sat up in bed. Marinette smiled gently. She hadn't really given much thought to the idea of marriage, especially not since she was in love with two men. She had only recently begun to come to terms with the fact that she was okay with that. Alya had even found a term for it, polyamorous. She hadn't felt comfortable with herself until her best friend had given her a way to identify herself. Just like how she hadn't been sure how to feel when she found herself crushing on a girl on top of crushing on Adrien. Alya had helped her figure it out then, and now she had helped her again. Marinette no longer felt uncomfortable in her own skin, she felt comfortable with her relationships and with the dynamic.

"Adrien, Marinette? Are you up?" Sabine asked opening the floor into Marinette's room.

"Yes, Maman," Marinette made sure she was covered as she peeked over the edge of her bed. Sabine smiled at the two. She could only see her daughter's eyes and Adrien gave her an awkward wave.

"Good, I have brunch started. It's time to start getting ready to go. I expect there to be quite the crowd outside based on all the commotion." She disappeared with those words and the door shut behind her.

Marinette groaned, wishing she could transform in order to fly out of here without dealing with a single paparazzi. Adrien jumped off the bed. "Come on, Mari."

She sat up and pulled on the shirt that Adrien had originally worn to bed last night. She glanced over the edge and smiled when she saw he was waiting for her to drop down. She jumped and he caught her with ease. They had been doing this the last few mornings, marveling at the other's strength and grace. Adrien knew exactly why he was able to catch her when she landed in his arms, but he was still trying to figure out she was so good at it. She knew how to distribute her weight and land without making both of them fall straight to the floor. The first morning had been an accident, but the second and third mornings had been a test, and today it was almost routine to them. Adrien walked her to the bathroom door and let her down onto her feet.

"Thank you," She whispered before disappearing inside and shutting the door behind her. Adrien smiled at the door before running over to his bag and grabbing his clothes for the morning. They were supposed to get ready at the hotel for the wedding, so Adrien decided jeans a button up would be just fine for the morning. He knew that he and Marinette would have to give an interview as they left the bakery, so he wanted to look nice.

He quickly changed and heard the door click open as he dumped his dirty laundry in the basket that never seemed to get full. He had offered to help Sabine with the laundry, but she had refused. He never saw her actually doing laundry or putting it back in his suitcase, but it was always there. "You look spiffy," Marinette trailed her hand across his back as she dumped her clothes into the basket as well.

"Wow, great minds think alike." Adrien couldn't help but stare. She was wearing a light pink dress with leggings underneath.

"Reporters?" Marinette shrugged. "Figured that I better look nice before the media says something bad about me not wanting to be in the wedding."

"Exactly my thoughts, my love." Marinette strapped her purse over her shoulder and they descended the stairs, discussing what they were going to tell the reporters that they knew were going to ask a thousand questions.

"Good morning," Tom called as he set a tray a fresh croissants on the counter and poured the coffee out for the pair.

"Morning, Papa." Marinette greeted her father with a kiss on the cheek and sat on a stool at the counter.

"Morning, Tom. This looks delicious." Adrien smiled and sat down next to Marinette before swiping a cup of coffee.

"You say that every morning son. Eat up, you guys have 10 minutes before you have to leave, we let you sleep in." Tom said as he removed the hot pads and set them on the counter.

"It's true every morning," Adrien said sipping at the warm murky liquid. He liked his bitter, it made him wake up easier.

Marinette picked at her croissant as she dumped cream and sugar into a mug before pouring coffee over it. "Thank you, we needed it." The rest of the time was spent in peace, everyone munching at the treats. Marinette's phone beeped and she dumped her plate and mug into the sink. Adrien followed her lead as they yanked on their boots and coats. They walked through the bakery, kissing Sabine on the cheek as they left. She waved as they walked straight into the crowd of cameras.

"Adrien! Marinette!" Their names were being called from every direction. This would have usually sent Marinette into a panic, but she was holding Adrien's hand and had Tikki at her hip. 

"Hello, yes, we're very excited for the wedding. But if we don't leave now, we'll be late for preparations. You'll get to see it all, father is allowing the wedding to be streamed live so that everyone can witness it. Yes, thanks, have a great morning." Adrien said as he pulled her through the crowd. A reporter grabbed her arm, and both teens stopped in their tracks. No one had ever tried to stop them from leaving before.

"Are you worried about an akuma attack?" The woman asked as she released Marinette's sleeve. Adrien pulled Marinette into his chest.

"Not at all, it's a wedding, it'll bring only happiness." Adrien gave the reporter a scathing look, one that Marinette hadn't ever seen on him before. He usually had the patience of a saint and the smile that never faltered. Hardly letting her feet touch the ground, he pulled her through the rest of the crowd and they were soon running down the streets of Paris. They slid on the ice patches and didn't slow down until the Le Grand Paris was in their sights. There was a red carpet outside and Chloe was standing on it in a beautiful gown, waving to the reporters who were obviously awaiting the arrival of the wedding party.

"Hell, we should have left earlier." Adrien muttered.

"It's alright," Marinette leaned up and kissed his cheek, hoping it would stop the frown he had been wearing since that reporter had grabbed her.

His face slowly changed from anger to something softer. "You're right, it's alright. Hop on, we're going to have some fun."

"Adrien! I'm in a dress, you are not giving me a piggy back ride!" Marinette said in shock as he knelt down.

"Then we're going to be here for a moment. The media might get the wrong idea." He winked. She groaned and jumped on his back so that he could carry her through the crowd. She knew he was just being over protective, but she indulged him this once. He ran them through the crowd and past Chloe who shouted after them. They were too busy laughing as they landed in the lobby. 

An attendant rushed over to them. "Mlle Dupain-Cheng, Monsieur Agreste, you're late. Come on." The man waited as Marinette jumped down and walked along side Adrien. They arrived at a set of doors that were labeled Bride and Groom.

"I'll see you at the altar," Adrien winked at Marinette who looked ready to run back out into the crowd of reporters.

"Not if I see you first," She shot back at him before rushing inside the room so that she couldn't change her mind. Inside the door was a few woman surrounding Nathalie, who looked ready to push them all away.

"Marinette," the woman called softly before she stood and ran over to hug her. "I'm so glad you're here."

"Me too," Marinette breathed out, realizing her words were true. She was excited to be here. This was going to be fun.

"Come, let's get ready," Nathalie handed Marinette a champagne glass and Marinette glanced at the orange contents. "It's a mimosa. I figured one for the nerves wouldn't be a bad thing."

"Thank you, how are you doing?" Marinette asked as she was lead to a chair. She sat down and felt someone gently pull the pony tail holders out of her hair and start running a brush through her hair.

"I'm well, nervous, but I'm ready." Marinette had seen Nathalie display small levels of emotion before, nothing ever like this. She was using hand gestures and had a full smile as she spoke.

"Adrien was nervous too. He worried that he would drop the rings this morning, until I reminded him that I'm the clumsy one." Marinette sipped at the glass and was surprised that it tasted like carbonated orange juice. She had wine with dinner before, but she never was one for drinking outside of a glass with dinner. She had too much responsibility to get drunk if she had to swing around the city and save a citizen or stop an akuma.

"That boy will be amazing." Nathalie smiled, before she glanced in the mirror at Marinette. "Can I ask you a question, Marinette?"

"Of course," Marinette winced as her hair got pulled, she had no clue what they were doing to her, but she wasn't sure she wanted to know.

"Does Adrien hate me?"

Marinette was happy that she wasn't drinking the mimosa at this point, otherwise she would have spit it out. "Of course not!"

"I just, I know he isn't pleased about our marriage," Nathalie sighed as she grabbed her own champagne glass and sipped from it.

"That's not it at all, he wasn't pleased that he didn't know about your relationship and that the wedding was suddenly happening." Marinette explained as her chair was turned so that she could see Nathalie in the mirror. The woman smiled at her.

"I wanted to tell him, but Gabriel said it could wait. And when he proposed, I couldn't say no. I was too happy, but then things started to move fast and now we're here. We put together a wedding in under a month." Nathalie explained. "And the trip was rough, all we did was work, which is nothing new, but there was so much more than usual. I think I signed my name enough that it started to look like I was doing it wrong."

"Nathalie, you want to get married, right?" Marinette asked, not sure she was getting that vibe off the bride.

"Of course, but I didn't want to do it like this. I wanted Adrien to help us plan, and." Nathalie stopped mid sentence, glancing down at her hand. "I've always thought of Adrien as a son to me. I was around before he was born. Emilie taught me everything I needed to know about the position before she gave birth. She used to do what I do now. But she wanted to be there for Adrien instead of the company. And when Adrien was born, he was another aspect of my job. Arrange protection and education for him. Make sure he was nurtured. And when Emilie went missing," Nathalie closed her eyes and stopped speaking.

"Adrien holds you with high esteem, Nathalie. He's told me what you've done for him." It was true, Adrien had told Marinette how Nathalie had arranged it so that he could go to public school and how she made sure he got time off and that she always cared for him as more than an assistant.

"Thank you, Marinette. It means a lot to have you by my side today, especially with all you do for Adrien. I'm glad he has you." Nathalie smiled once more and Marinette felt herself relax.

"No problem," The women relaxed and chatted about the wedding planning as they had their hair and makeup done. The men however, were having a much more quiet time. Adrien was used to having people fuss over him about his hair and makeup, but he had never seen the same happen to his father. His eyes kept glancing over to watch someone throw gel in his hair, or apply powder to his face. It was almost absurd for Adrien to witness.

Soon he was shrugging into his tuxedo, someone fixed his bow tie for him. It was the same red and white stripes that were usually on his father's necktie. He glanced over at his father putting on the black tux instead of his white suit. He watched as his father casually snapped on a small purple oval brooch in place of the button on his shirt that was second from the top. Adrien stared at the piece and glanced away when his father caught him staring in the mirror. Gabriel quickly put on his own bow tie, gazing back at his son, wondering why he had looked so confused as he had placed his miraculous. 

"Son, thank you for coming today, even if you were late." Gabriel said as he pulled on his jacket. 

"Of course, father. I wouldn't miss it." Adrien glanced at the wall that was dividing Marinette from him, wishing she was here for him right now. He felt like he didn't want to be stuck in this room for another moment.

"Sir?" A hotel attendant peeked through the door, catching Gabriel's and Adrien's attention.

"Yes?"

"The photographer is set up and everyone is seated. Are you ready?" Adrien could have breathed a sigh of relief. His father nodded and they exited the room.

"Break a leg father," Adrien said as his dad walked through the doors.

His father nodded at him and walked through the door, strutting to the front of the hall that was decorated beautifully. Adrien swallowed as a hand fell on his arm. Adrien glanced down and his jaw fell open. Marinette's hair was at chin level with the ringlets in her hair. She had delicate pearls beaded into her hair that looked like snowflakes. The strapless red dress fit her form perfectly before loosening around her waist so that it fell gently at her feet. The color made her eyes look brighter than usual. "Gorgeous," The word fell from his open mouth.

"Not too bad yourself, but we have an audience, so shut you mouth." Marinette winked. The music cued and they walked through the doorway, people oo-ing and ah-ing from both sides. The couple walked to the beat and broke apart at the stairs. Marinette moving to stand on the side where Nathalie would stand and Adrien moving to stand beside his father. Marinette kept her head up as she held tight to the bouquet of roses and scanned the crowd. Her mother smiled at her from the crowd, and Alya gave her a small wave from where she was seated next to Nino. There had to be at least 200 people here, but most of them were unfamiliar to her. She glanced over at Adrien and instead of faking a smile, it became real as their eyes connected.

The music changed again and the entire crowd stood and turned towards the doorway as Nathalie appeared. Her white dress was perfect. It flowed with her as she walked. What surprised Marinette, was that Tom was walking Nathalie down the aisle. Marinette grinned at her father. She wasn't surprised that he had done it, but she was surprised that Nathalie had chosen her dad to walk her down the aisle. They hadn't known each other for more than two weeks at this point, but Marinette figured that Nathalie probably wasn't close to many people if Marinette was the only one standing beside her today.

Nathalie let go of Tom's arm and took Gabriel's hand as the couple both walked up to Mayor Bourgeois. Their vows were nothing fancy, the ceremony almost seemed fast when Marinette thought about it. Adrien handed over the rings and they were exchanged. Something about the whole ordeal was making Marinette's instincts tingle. She couldn't tell what it was. Something was up, but she couldn't say what. The couple leaned in for a kiss and the crowd applauded politely. Marinette smiled at Adrien, who was smiling at her. Gabriel and Nathalie walked down the aisle, arm in arm. Adrien and Marinette followed behind them and they went to finish the photos for the day.

"Does something feel off?" Adrien whispered.

"Yeah," Marinette agreed, glad that she wasn't the only one. She couldn't put her finger on it, but something about the whole ceremony felt almost like it was familiar, but she couldn't say why. The teens smiled and posed and laughed as there photos were taken around the hotel. How could they not? Besides, it was just a feeling, right? 


	19. Fireworks Aren't The Only Show Tonight

The sun was setting as the final picture was taken. Adrien kissed Marinette gently and they walked back towards where the reception would be taking place. They both already felt exhausted. Marinette wanted to do nothing more than kick off the heels and lay down, but she knew she had at least 6 more hours of festivities ahead of her. The send off was at midnight for a reason. She grinned as Adrien swept her off her feet and they spun through the doors into the hall. People shouted and whooped as they entered, soon followed by Nathalie and Gabriel. The entire scene was a party. Adrien set Marinette down next to Alya and fell into the chair next to her.  

Adrien feet hurt, his face felt like he had been smiling for days instead of hours. He didn't know if he could make it until midnight, let alone after. Adrien groaned and leaned onto Marinette's shoulder, who felt just as bad as he did.

"You guys look exhausted." Alya said passing them both a coffee.

"I feel like I have a permanent smile etched into my face." Marinette grumbled as she chugged the coffee. She placed it onto the table and stole Alya's coffee too, this time drinking it much slower.

"I feel like I just did 10 shoots in a row." Adrien agreed as he sipped from his cup. He knew Marinette had to be exhausted if she was drinking black coffee without wincing.

"Damn. You both look good though," Nino commented. The couple glanced up at him, almost mimicking each other's right lifted brow and smirk.

"That's almost scary guys. Spend less time together." Alya laughed. They turned to each other, confused by her words, before glancing back at their friends, still mimicking each other.

"Hey, did something feel off at the ceremony to you guys?" Adrien asked, pulling Marinette's mind back into focus.

"Yeah, it seemed like something was there that wasn't supposed to be there, but I just figured it was Chloe." Alya shrugged. Adrien sighed and Marinette rolled her eyes.

Nino snorted. "She acted like she was the one getting married, though I have noticed her and Nathaniel have been getting pretty close."

"What?" The three turned to Nino who put his hands up in an 'I surrender' motion.

"I just said that they were getting close. He asked her to coffee 2 weeks ago during exams and they've had pictures on social media everyday last week." Nino said, as his friends stared at him.

"I haven't been on anything except Snapchat in awhile." Marinette bit her lip.

"We haven't had time. Besides, whenever we go out, there's already pictures of us before we post anything," Adrien pointed out. That fact did not make Marinette's mood any better. She had it with the media eating them alive every time they dared to go out in public. They were just young adults after all.

"You're lucky that Chat hasn't been caught sneaking through your skylight," Alya said tapping the ring on Marinette's right hand. Marinette blushed as she glanced down at the rings. They had felt awkward on her hands before. She had never once in her life worn a ring, but now she was wearing two. They seemed heavy whenever someone pointed them out.

"They usually leave the bakery alone now, except for today, but they know that Adrien's been staying there, so." Marinette shrugged. She knew that it was a blessing that no one had spotted him. Then the paparazzi would really never leave her alone.

Their attention turned to the plates being set in front of them. "Finally," Adrien groaned, placing his napkin in his nap.

"Maybe you should have had more than just coffee earlier, dear." Marinette pointed out as she dug into the food in front of her. The group at in silence, listening to the music and other conversations going on around them. The lights dimmed and the attendants walked around gathering dishes.

Marinette and Adrien stood, going to meet Gabriel and Nathalie on the dance floor, knowing that they had to dance at least the first dance, since that was what Nathalie had asked of them. Marinette placed her hand on Adrien's shoulder he took her other one in his hand. He gripped her waist and the music changed to a familiar romantic tune. They spun around the floor and Marinette couldn't help but feel like she was spinning her feelings away. She felt weightless and carefree and Adrien couldn't help but feel the tension leave her body. The song ended and they finished with Adrien holding Marinette above his head. He let her gracefully fall back to the ground and kissed her lightly, as everyone cheered. The crowd suddenly silenced as the lights went dark. 

Fear gripped Adrien as he pulled back and glanced around. His heart was pounding in his ears as the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. Even when he wasn't Chat Noir, he could see pretty well in the dark. A figure dropped to the ground between where he and Marinette stood and where Nathalie and Gabriel stood. Adrien pushed Marinette behind him. "Let's go. Run," He whispered pushing her back. His instincts were screaming and Plagg was already groaning in his jacket pocket. The couple dashed away. Adrien pushed Marinette into a supply closet.

"Adrien," Marinette reached for him. She knew she couldn't transform if he was here, but she didn't want him running back into the danger.

"I have to check on my father, stay here. I'll send Alya and Nino this way. I love you," Adrien said going to close the door.

Marinette stopped the door and kissed his cheek. "I love you too."

He smiled at her and closed the door the rest of the way. Marinette needed to transform and this was going to be the best way in the end. "Tikki, spots on!" The kwami flew out from under her dress where she had been hiding the whole day. In a matter of seconds, the dress magically became her suit and her hair straightened and ended up in pigtails. Mask in place, Ladybug smashed open the door and landed back inside the hall. The lights came back to life just in time to reveal a woman in a blue dress with dark hair piled high on her head. The dress ended with peacock feathers and Ladybug felt her chest explode with hope. Maybe this was a miraculous holder here to help her.

The woman's voice was scornful. "Gabriel Agreste." The name reverberated off the walls and Nathalie stepped back, allowing Gabriel into the woman's sight.

"Paon, it's been a long time," Gabriel's voice sounded happy, a tear slipping down his face.

"Damn straight. You get left alone for a few years, and here you are remarried and neglecting our child." Gasps filled the room at her words. Ladybug felt the hope rush out of her. This was Emilie Agreste, the woman who had disappeared years ago on a trip in Tibet. And yet here she was, using the peacock miraculous. Ladybug had to find Adrien now and get him out of here before he really got himself into danger.

"I found their son already and tucked him into a room upstairs. Neither of them know where he is," Chat Noir said as he dropped from the ceiling next to her. "What's the plan?"

"She's not an akuma, we can't attack her without knowing what she wants. She might be peaceful," Ladybug stated, touching her yo-yo that was around her waist. She didn't unclip it yet, she wanted to see what was going to happen. "Paon! I am Ladybug and this is my partner Chat Noir!" She decided to announce. The woman turned and Ladybug debated on running. Emilie's face was navy and her eyes were bright pink. In her hand she held a fan made of peacock feathers.

"I know exactly who you are, children. Now stay out of my way. I came here to kill my cheating, bastard of a husband." Paon spun away and turned back towards Gabriel and Nathalie.

"Guess that answers that. Grab them and get out of here. I'll see if I can talk sense into her." Ladybug said stepping forward. She saw her partner's hesitation before he nodded to her.

"Don't hurt her." Chat said as he used his baton to pounce over Paon and in front of Gabriel and Nathalie. He pushed both of them towards the doors as Ladybug flung her yo-yo, letting it rope Paon and yank her back towards Ladybug.

"You don't have to do this." Ladybug said through clenched teeth. Paon didn't look heavy, but she was resisting which made this difficult.

"Yes I do." Paon's eyes flashed and Ladybug almost dropped the string. She didn't understand why, but she almost wanted to help Paon. She shook her head and continued reeling.

"Why? What would your son think?" Ladybug called pulling Paon closer to her.

"He would understand my anger." Ladybug snorted at her words.

"How would he feel if you killed his father and the woman who has been a mother to him for the past several years? He's had to grow up without you, how would he feel?" Ladybug said as she stood face to face with Emilie Agreste. This was not at all what she had imagined when she thought of potentially meeting her boyfriend's mother. "You abandoned him, and let me tell you, he would feel deceived."

"How would you know how he would feel?" Paon leaned in and looked into Ladybug's eyes. "Unless of course, I know exactly who is underneath that mask?"

"Good try," Ladybug smirked. People had implied they knew who she was under the mask for years, that trick no longer phased her.

"I don't need to." Paon brought her foot up and swept Ladybug's legs out from under her. She wiggled her way out of the yo-yo and grabbed Ladybug by the front of her suit. "I just have to take you miraculous, dear. Then the whole world will know whether or not you're exactly who I think you are."

"Good luck with that!" An orange bubble went whipping through the air and collided with Paon's chest, causing her to throw Ladybug as she fell back. Rena Rouge landed and lifted Ladybug back on her feet. "Sorry we're late, there was a bit of a mess trying to transform," Rena's cheeks were red as Carapace and Queen Bee landed behind her. 

"We all accidentally ended up in the same room, kwamis out and everything." Carapace shrugged.

"Now's not the time," Ladybug said as she scooped up her yo-yo and threw it at Paon again, this time she deflected it with her fan.

"Ah, the whole team except for the naughty black cat. This will be a piece of cake." Paon rolled her shoulders and flung her fan in their direction. It was so fast that Ladybug didn't even see it as it sliced a cut just below her mask. 

"You know what, I think I'd take on Hawk Moth or his akumas at this point. At least he doesn't draw blood." Bee commented as she flung her top at Paon. The peacock miraculous holder reached out, snatched it and pulled hard. Bee fell to the ground and Paon smirked.

"What's your power again?"

"Venom!"

"No!" Ladybug called out but it was too late. Queen Bee had activated her power. "Lucky charm!" The item fell into her hands as Paon quickly advanced on her teammate. She didn't have time to think. She just acted as her vision went gray-scale. She dove for the floor and watched the item turn spotted before Queen Bee's top also changed colors. The next to change colors was Paon. Ladybug slammed the boomerang into Paon's wrist that had been holding the top, she caught it as it dropped and slammed it into Paon's chest, freezing her to the spot. Ladybug let out a breath and let the boomerang fall from her grip.

"That was pretty lucky," Rena commented as Carapace helped Ladybug to her feet.

"Almost too lucky," the words left her mouth as an arm circled her neck and tightened, cutting off her air flow. She grabbed at the arms and pulled, but there was no give.

"Silly girl, miraculous powers only work for short amounts of time when used on other miraculous holders. Especially those who have had their miraculouses for years." Paon's words froze Ladybug's blood. She had never fought another miraculous holder. Hawk Moth had never been brave enough to come out of hiding.

"What's going to run out first? You're oxygen levels or your miraculous?" Paon asked as the first beep came from her earrings. Ladybug struggled to think. She nodded to Rena, hoping she would get the signal.

"Mirage!" The fox called before blowing on her flute. The scene changed, suddenly all of them standing in the foyer of Agreste Manor. Paon's grip loosened just enough and Ladybug threw her over her head with all she had.

"Carapace!" Ladybug croaked.

"Shelter!" He yelled, throwing his shield into Paon's chest. The bubble erupted and she landed inside of it, the bubble rolling her into a wall. "I don't how long that will last LB."

Chat Noir ran back into the room and to Ladybug's side which caused the illusion to fade quickly. Ladybug was kneeling on the floor, coughing and rubbing her throat. "Are you okay, my lady?"

"Fine," she coughed. "Did you get them away?"

"They're hidden safely. What about Paon?" His eyes glanced at the miraculous holder, something akin to fear hidden in his emerald green eyes.

"She has a brooch. I think it's on her left shoulder. When that shield drops, destroy it. I'll put it back together when I throw for a lucky charm, but she doesn't deserve it. Not if she thinks killing her son's father is the only way." Ladybug said getting back to her feet again. She was done with having to be on the ground today. She wiped the blood on her face and stared at the woman inside of the bubble who was hitting the sides of it screaming.

"Carapace, now," Ladybug said readying her yo-yo. Chat called his cataclysm with a shaky breath as Ladybug's miraculous beeped again. Queen Bee looked nervously at her hair, knowing she was almost out of time as well.

The shield dropped and Ladybug pitched. Her yo-yo caught Paon's ankles as her fan went flying again. Rena managed to knock it to the ground with her flute and kick it away from her reach. Carapace grabbed his shield and grabbed one arm while Queen Bee grabbed another. Chat Noir walked over and grabbed the feathered brooch off her shoulder, turning it to dust. Paon's transformation fell and there laid Emilie Agreste. Except for something was wrong. She looked exactly like the pictures that Adrien had showed Marinette, except for the fact that she wasn't fighting. Her eyes were closed and she had gone limp. Ladybug wasn't even sure if she was still breathing.

"What the hell?" Ladybug said as she untied her yo-yo from her ankles. She grabbed the boomerang and called on the power to make everything right. The brooch reassembled in Chat's hand but Emilie did not move. Ladybug ran over as the third beep cheeped in her ears. Queen Bee's transformation fell, leaving Chloe tucking Pollen into her dress. Rena grabbed her necklace and ran from the hall, Carapace trailing close behind her. Ladybug silently mused if the couple was going to fight about this, but she pushed that thought away as she knelt next to the woman that had raised Adrien.

Ladybug reached and felt for a heart beat. It was slow and faint, but it was there. "What's wrong with her?" Chat looked ready to cry, but Ladybug wasn't paying any attention to that, right now she had a job to do.

She reached out and placed her hand over her heart, her chest slowly rising and falling as she breathed. She felt a flash of pain, gasped, and almost pulled back, but she felt like she was going to learn something if she didn't. A moment later, the hall faded and she was kneeling in another room. It was unfamiliar, but there stood a casket with a clear lid that held Emilie Agreste inside. Gabriel stood in front of it, wearing his usual white suit. "I am sorry, Emilie." He said as he fastened the brooch to her chest, releasing a kwami and forcing Emilie to open her eyes.

"My love," she whispered, lovingly gazing at her husband.

"I am that no more, not after what you have become." Gabriel said harshly. Emilie put her hand over her heart, but she didn't look heartbroken, she looked angered.

"It wasn't my fault!" She cried, leaning forward, reaching for him, her hand passing through the casket.

"You made the decision to bind your life to your miraculous! Now you can't survive without it. I refuse to raise our son like this. I will find the Ladybug and Chat Noir miraculouses to reverse this, but until then, you will rest here." Gabriel said swatting her hand away from him.

"Fine! You don't understand me, but Duusu does!" Emilie said with a scathing look. She looked fierce with pure rage in her eyes.

"My lady," the kwami said softly.

"Until I figure things out, you will be here, and Duusu will not be with you. I just had to see you once more before I let you go." Gabriel said reaching in and enclosing his hand over her brooch.

"Gabriel! No!" She cried as he pulled it off her jacket. Her eyes fluttered shut as Duusu disappeared back inside the brooch.

"Maybe one day in the future, you can be my love again."

Ladybug felt the vision fade and fell backwards, into Chat Noir. "Ladybug?" 

"I," the room span for a moment and she used him for support. She was back in the hall where the wedding reception was. She was glanced down at where Emilie Agreste had laid, but she had vanished. "Where did she go?"

"As soon as you let go, she disappeared, but I still have the brooch. You're about to lose your transformation." Chat said yanking her to her feet, but she couldn't stand, the room was spinning too fast.  She leaned on him as he basically carried her from the room. He was going to walk past the room where he had thought Marinette was still hiding. 

"Here," Ladybug coughed. She needed to transform now, based on the sharp beeps coming from the earrings. She knew Tikki had to be clinging to the miraculous at this point in order to keep her identity.

"Someone else is in there," Chat started to say.

"Chat, do it," Ladybug said reaching for the knob as he came to a stop.

"Ladybug, someone else is in there and will see you." Chat started to say, frowning at her. But something else crossed his mind, a thought that he tried to push back, but couldn't.

Ladybug grabbed the knob and threw open the door. It opened and Chat was met with an empty supply closet. "Marinette," he whispered.

"Stay," Ladybug said as he pulled her into the room. Her earrings were beeping fast as he laid her on the ground. "You'll have to take me to Fu anyways."

"My lady."

"Chaton." 


	20. Revelations, Among Other Things

The flash of bright pink that filled the room felt like it should have burned Chat's eyes, but instead it warmed him to his soul. Ladybug had been standing in front of him, staring him down before the flash, but as her transformation melted away, she fell forward so that he was supporting her.

Just because Chat Noir had suspected it for awhile, didn't make it any easier to see Marinette appear as Ladybug disappeared. Her pigtails falling back into the curled locks that she had sported during the wedding, her red and black suit changing back into the red dress. He waited for her to look back up at him with her large bluebell eyes, but she stayed leaning on him her forehead pressed against his chest.

Chat had so many abrupt emotions: joy, anger, fear. He was happy that his love and his partner were one and the same, happier than he had felt all throughout the wedding, but he had a slight tinge of anger. Ladybug had rejected him twice, but years later when he had felt his feelings for Marinette flare up, she had accepted him without a doubt. The most overpowering of his emotions though, was his fear. He didn't know what had happened in the hall, Ladybug had been dazed out for a moment and collapsed while his mother had disappeared into thin air. And now she wasn't waking up. And the fear that he knew she had been throwing herself into danger all along, although he knew that she could more than protect herself, it still shook him.

"My love, come on bugaboo, I need you to wake up." He pleaded. Marinette let out a high pitched whine, but did not open her eyes. Chat lifted her over his shoulder and ran her out of the hotel. He knew people would see them, but he hoped that they would ignore them for the most part. He used his baton and took to the sky, his miraculous beeping once again, showing two pads of the paw left, He flew with Marinette hugged tight against him, hoping to make it to Fu's in time before his transformation broke while they were soaring through Paris. He landed in front of the massage parlor as the last pad began to blink rapidly and almost scream. He dashed through the door and collapsed in Master Fu's parlor as he landed on the ground as Adrien Agreste.

"Chat Noir?" Master Fu asked, sounding very surprised as he took in the scene of the teenagers laying on his floor.

Adrien opened his mouth, but Plagg came screaming out of his ring and into Master Fu. "Got any Camembert?"

"Second shelf in the fridge, you know exactly where to find it, Plagg." Master Fu brushed the kwami aside. "Chat Noir, what happened?"

"Marin-" He stopped himself. "I mean Ladybug, she's been practicing with her powers. Her kwami," He stopped again as a red figure flew out of Marinette's dress and in front of his face.

"My name is Tikki, I'm glad to see you Adrien." Tikki smiled, "But not under these circumstances. Master, she's been practicing with the ancient healing powers that Ladybug used to have. When we touched the chest of the peacock miraculous holder,"

"You found the peacock miraculous holder?" Fu asked as tears blurred Chat's vision. He had been strong through the fight and all the way here, but now reality took it's grip on him. His mother had been gone all these years and she was alive, possibly. He didn't know what happened to her after Ladybug collapsed.

"My mother," he spoke softly, drawing all attention onto him. Plagg was soon next to him, tucked against his neck as he ate his cheese.

"Why don't we start from the beginning?" Master Fu suggested as he poured a cup of tea for Adrien and laid Marinette out on his mat. "Well, actually, let's start with does Ladybug know you're true identity now, Chat Noir?"

"No," he choked out. "The only reason, the only reason she told me hers is because she knew she was going to need me to bring her to you."

"You did the right thing, son. Now you may wish to transform in case she wakes up. I don't think we should confuse her anymore than she already will be," Fu patted his shoulder and Adrien agreed. He held his hand up and halfheartedly transformed, causing Plagg to abruptly stop eating cheese.

Chat listened as Tikki explained what they had witnessed between bites of a cookie that Master Fu had handed her. "It was like we were watching a memory. Gabriel said that Emilie had tethered her life to her miraculous. And that he wouldn't stand to have that around Adrien so he locked her away in some casket and took the peacock miraculous. I think she's been there this entire time while he's tried to get the miraculouses."

"Hmm, interesting indeed. And where is the peacock miraculous now?"

Tikki turned to Adrien who had stopped paying attention. He was too busy thinking about where his father had left her. In Tibet? Was that why he had left for business before the wedding? Or was she closer to home than that? Had she returned to that place without the miraculous? Was his father truly Hawk Moth and that's why he was so hell bent on getting their miraculouses? "Chat?"

He glanced up and numbly unfolded his clenched hand, revealing the brooch. A blue feathered kwami spun out of his and stared at him. "You already have a miraculous, Chat Noir." The kwami commented as Chat handed Master Fu the miraculous.

"Duusu!" Tikki exclaimed as she tackled the blue kwami in much the fashion that Marinette typically greeted Adrien.

"Hmm, this poses some very dangerous thoughts now." Master Fu muttered as he pressed his hand against Marinette's head. "Tikki, come try to wake her."

Tikki broke away from the hug and raced over to Marinette, gently kissing her nose. Her eyes fluttered open slowly, groaning as the light pierced her sensitive eyes. "Too bwight," her words sounded slurred as she sluggishly raised her hand to cover her eyes. Chat used his baton to hit the light switch, casting them into darkness except for the soft glow of the moon coming through the curtains.

"My lady?" Chat whispered, crawling closer.

"Mmm, chaton, I'm sorry," Marinette said leaning up and wrapping her arms around his neck. "You must hate me."

"Never. I was angry, but I could never stay mad at you my love." He muttered into her hair, tears gently falling onto her scalp. It was true, his anger had dissipated and turned to concern when she hadn't woke right away.

"Oh minou, don't cry, I'm alright. Just tired. I overexerted myself trying to heal her." Marinette said running her fingers through her partner's hair.

"I thought I told you not to try that again,"

"I know, but I had to,"

"You two are quite the sight," Master Fu smiled from a few feet away. The teens broke apart, but stayed close to each other. "I'm glad Ladybug and Chat Noir are together once again, but we have much to discuss. Here, Ladybug, you will need some tea. It's a special kind that I've been saving for when you reached this point in unlocking your powers."

He handed her a cup filled from the same kettle that Chat Noir had drank out of. He glanced down at the tea in suspicion. "Don't worry Chat, you and Plagg will delve into those powers of yours soon enough."

"Master, what do you know?" Marinette asked as she sipped out of her tea cup.

"I believe Tikki told me everything that happened tonight,"

"Good, does this mean that Gabriel Agreste is Hawk Moth?" Marinette asked the brutal question and Master Fu glanced at Chat as he closed his eyes. Marinette caught the glance, but figured he was just waiting to see what Chat thought before answering.

"I believe that is a possibility, however it could just mean that he is working for Hawk Moth. What I am concerned about is why Emilie would bind herself to you, Duusu." Master Fu's eyes swept over to the peacock kwami who had silently been floating in the air behind them. Marinette turned and smiled at the kwami.

"Master," Duusu said softly. "Emilie wanted nothing more than to be a hero for her son and her family. And unfortunately, she was able to understand parts of the book, more than I believed her able to. When she learned that the binding spell could let her live forever, she couldn't wait to try it and see if it was a way for her to keep herself and potentially her son together forever."

"Not her husband?" Marinette spoke quietly, almost questioning that she was even saying it aloud.

"No, she loved her son more than life itself. She wanted to bind his life to the butterfly miraculous." Marinette and Chat both froze in place, spines straight at those words. Marinette couldn't imagine Adrien having a miraculous, while Chat Noir couldn't imagine his mother forcing that kind of power on him and making him into Hawk Moth. To him, it just didn't sound like his mother.

"Do you know who has the butterfly miraculous?" Chat asked. Duusu nodded, but when his mouth opened, bubbles fell out.

"He is unable to tell you who owns the miraculous. Part of the way of keeping identities secret."

"Shit!" Marinette suddenly shouted, slapping a hand over her mouth. "I have to get back immediately! The others all found out each others' identities and Adrien is going to be worried about me. Thank you Master Fu, Chaton, meet me at the Eiffel Tower at one in the morning. Tikki, SPOTS ON!" A flash of pink and Ladybug was flying out of the parlor window.

"That woman sure knows how to make an exit. However, isn't she worried that Adrien is worried about her?" Master Fu pointed out.

"Crap! Thank you Master Fu, I'll come back soon, I have a lot of questions!" Chat promised as he followed Ladybug out the window. He landed behind the hotel and changed back into Adrien. He ran through the hotel, calling her name until he landed at the supply closet, slamming into Marinette.

"You're okay!" Marinette cried, wrapping her arms around him.

"I'm okay, I'm just glad you're safe." He said lifting her off her feet and holding her close. Adrien let the tears fall and didn't mind the crowds of people that were moving past them. All he cared about here and now was holding on tight and not letting go. He was in such emotional turmoil that he couldn't comprehend his true feelings. What he knew in his heart though, was that no matter where he went or what he did or what happened in his life, Marinette was going to be the beacon he needed to get through it. Ladybug or not, Marinette was the love of his life.

Sabine and Tom were the next to find Adrien and Marinette, but they just wrapped their arms around the kids as well. Soon Alya and Nino came too, with an awkward Chloe trailing behind them. The couple enveloped the group and yanked Chloe into joining as well. Tears were pouring down faces, someone was sniffling, and Marinette felt lost for the first time in awhile. Chat Noir knew who she was. He knew the real her and the superhero that flew around Paris and understood that the two women were one and the same. Yet Marinette didn't know who he was, and Adrien didn't know who she was at night. She wanted to tell him, she wanted to tell everyone here and now, but the secret had to stay a secret. Even if Master Fu and Chat knew, her secret couldn't get out to anyone else.

Adrien was glad to have everyone he loved close and holding onto him. He was glad that his face was buried into Marinette's neck so that the only one who knew he was crying was her. He wanted to tell her that he knew her secret and that he understood why she couldn't tell him. He wanted to be there to support both sides of her. He wanted to pour out his secret to her too. He wanted her to know that both sides of him loved both sides of her and that no matter what he would be here, but right now? Right now Marinette need Chat Noir's support when she was Ladybug and Adrien when she wasn't. She needed to have his silent support no matter what.

The group dismantled slowly. "Did anyone see what happened?" Adrien asked, knowing full well everyone except for Tom and Sabine would have been in that room and having a piece of the action. No one spoke up.

"I have to admit, I thought about sneaking in to film it, but it was a loud fight, I didn't want to get in the middle of that." Alya shrugged. Nino wrapped his arm around her shoulders, but avoided Adrien's gaze. Chloe crossed her arms and studied her toe polish. Marinette touched Adrien's chest with her hand and smiled.

"Don't worry, Ladybug and Chat Noir always save the day."

Adrien wanted to say nothing more than yes we do, but he bit his tongue and nodded. "I just was wondering who was akumatized." Adrien played the roll of unaware well. Of course, he had been playing this roll for almost 2 months now with Marinette. He would keep it up as long as she needed him to.

"I don't know if that was an akuma, son," Tom scratched his chin.

"I hate to agree with Tom, but that didn't sound like a usual akuma fight. There was no butterfly afterwards." Sabine nodded, causing the rest of the group to have various levels of guilt portrayed on their faces.

"Come on, let's go back inside. It's almost midnight. There's a ball drop and a send off to attend," Chloe finally spoke up as she swung open the doors. The rest of the guests had already made their way inside, causing eyes to fall on the group as they entered. Adrien kept Marinette pulled against his side, not wanting to let go of her since she was how he was keeping his act composed and together.

Gabriel and Nathalie ran straight over to the couple. "You're both okay!" Nathalie said as she wrapped her arms around the two, Gabriel settling to wrap his arms around Nathalie and Adrien.

"I'm so sorry," Gabriel whispered into his ear.

"Father?" Adrien pulled back to glance at his dad.

"Your mother, she's the one who came here. She was intending to attack me. I, we must talk later." Gabriel frowned as he pulled back to look at his son. "I didn't mean for any of that to happen, but I promise you, we will find her and get her the help she needs."

"You're not making any sense. Why would mom come here and attack you? Why would she wait to come until now?" Adrien pressed, looking for answers.

"Not here, not now. I will explain it later." Gabriel reaffirmed himself and Adrien nodded. Marinette was glancing between the three in confusion. Nathalie seemed to understand exactly what was happening, as if she knew about it. Gabriel obviously had inside knowledge about what happened, which just made Marinette believe that her theory of him having the butterfly miraculous was correct. And Adrien didn't seem shocked by the news. Maybe it was just that it hadn't sunk into him yet, or maybe it was still adrenaline in his system. Marinette tried to smile, but she figured it probably looked more like a grimace.

"I believe it's 11:59, based on the counting." The crowd had started at 60 and was chanting backwards. Gabriel and Nathalie pulled away and headed towards where everyone was standing, ready to send them on their way. Marinette glanced at Adrien.

"Shall we?" He asked, offering her his elbow.

The sides of her mouth lifted into a slight smile. "We shall," she reached out and took his arm, hooking her own around it. The couple skipped over to stand right behind Gabriel and Nathalie. They had formed the plan this morning. Marinette took a bowl of rice off the podium. Her and Adrien held it between them and when the countdown reached zero, they threw it over the kissing couple's heads before proceeding to kiss each other.

"Happy New Year, Mari," Adrien said breaking away.

"Shut up and kiss me," Marinette said pulling him back to her. She heard Alya shout and she finally broke away from his lips that tasted surprisingly of spearmint. "Happy New Year, Adrien." They watched Gabriel and Nathalie wave to everyone as they dashed out the doors to the limo awaiting them to take them on their honeymoon. Marinette smiled, knowing in an hour she would go speak to Chat Noir at the Eiffel Tower and then after that she would be able to spend the next day relaxing before returning back to school. Even though it had felt like the end of the world earlier, right now she felt ready to take it all on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, it's me. I debated on waiting to post this until I had the next part written that way it would have the next part out almost immediately, but I guess I'll let you have it early. Happy Halloween my dear readers! I'm going to take my sisters trick or treating after work tomorrow and then I'll try to finish up the next chapter. Have a safe holiday and eat lots of sweets! Love, Emily.


	21. Secrets, Lies, and Ties

It hadn't taken much convincing with Adrien to let Marinette take a walk once they got home and changed into normal clothes. She had just told him she wanted to go for a walk by herself to decompress. He had smiled and waved her off, telling her to be safe. The moment she was out the door, she hid in an alley and transformed. Feeling her suit flawlessly cover her skin never ceased to amaze her. She fled into the night and made it to the tower a minute before 1 am, surprised to see her partner already standing at their usual ledge.

Ladybug stood on the roof of the building closest to the tower and stared at him momentarily. Would he be angry with her for never telling him the truth now that he had time to think things through? Would he be happy that his partner and his girlfriend were one and the same? Would he try to tell her who he himself was? The questions flowed through her and she swallowed hard, knowing if she didn't go to him now, they would never know.

She made the final leap to him and as soon as her feet touched metal, she was swept into his arms. "I'm glad you came, bugaboo," the words were all she needed to relax and let go of her fear as she hugged him back.

"Me too, chaton, me too." She muttered as she clung to him. She had hugged him often over the years, but never like this when she was Ladybug. She wasn't sure when she started crying. The tears just began to pour down her face at some point. Her heart had felt heavy with despair over how he would react to seeing both sides of her. She hadn't known what to do when her head was spinning, her thoughts murky with fear as her miraculous had chirped, and her only thought had been to let Chat take care of her. He had always done it in the past, so she had trusted him to do it now.

Chat Noir whispered sweet nothings in her ear and soothed her, holding her against his chest. "It's okay, my lady, I've got you." And he meant it with all of her heart. He would always have her back, as Marinette or Ladybug. Now that he understood, he felt even more in love with her.

"Thanks," Ladybug sniffled as she pulled away to look up at him, wiping her hand across her face. Chat's green eyes shone with the telltale sign of fresh tears, but they weren't spilling onto his cheeks like hers had.

"Of course, my love." He wiped the tears off her mask, barely freezing up, but enough so that Ladybug noticed. She sighed and tucked her bangs behind her ear. She knew why he had froze up, even if it was only momentarily. Chat Noir was struggling with being in love with Marinette and Ladybug.

"Chat, I didn't want you to find out like that. I didn't want to tell you until after Hawk Moth was gone. If anyone ever found out, my family would in constant danger. And while the majority of my friends can take care of themselves, Adrien would be in danger too." Ladybug felt like there was more to say than that, but her mouth fell open without any words coming out. If anyone found out her identity, Adrien Agreste would become a target. And while he could handle the media pressure and the fans, he probably would have no clue how to handle the fans.

"My lady," He pressed a finger over her mouth and took a deep breath. "Be honest with me, is ou-your relationship with Adrien what pushed you into believing that his father is Hawk Moth? Because I want you to only investigate him if there's real evidence,"

She gaped at him, shocked that he would even consider that she would only investigate Gabriel Agreste because of her relationship with Adrien. "Never! I only wanted to further our investigation into him because it makes sense! And after that weird vision, flash back thing, or whatever it was with Emilie, I believe that my assumptions are right and he needs to be investigated. If you don't believe me though, that's fine. If you don't trust me after finding out my secret, fine!" She spun and yanked her yo-yo off her hip. She cocked her arm back, but a flash of silver and her yo-yo was knocked out of her hand. Chat Noir caught it and glanced at her.

"If you think I don't trust you just because I know that you are my girlfriend Ladybug, then we seriously should sit down and talk, but I'm going to just see this as an embarrassed outburst. You've been through a lot today. You were with Adrien at his father's wedding, yeah? And you found out his mom's still alive and maybe a little evil, right? On top of me finding out your identity. I have a feeling that you're scared, upset, maybe a little angry, and definitely embarrassed, but let me tell you something, my lady, my heart, my love." He stepped closer and handed her back her yo-yo before he leaned in and whispered against her ear. "I loved both parts of you before, and I do now. I love you, and my heart belongs to you. So don't ever think it doesn't just because I see all of you when most people only see parts of you."

Ladybug blinked and sunk her teeth into her lower lip, choking back tears. "Minou," She whispered.

"I wasn't done yet. You're eyes are the same ones that I looked into before. You're hair is the same that I slip my fingers through. Your breath is the same one I want to steal away with a kiss," He gently pressed his lips to hers. "Just like that. You are the same. Ladybug or not, miraculous," he gently touched her earrings which seemed to send a shock of electricity through Marinette. "or not. Ladybug, I love you. Mask, or not. And your secret is locked away in a place that only I know. I could be tortured and I would never tell."

Ladybug grabbed him and yanked him into a kiss. "I love you too, chaton," she said kissing him again. She wished they weren't out on a frozen tower. She would prefer to be home with him and Adrien both. She knew they had all agreed to not be in the same room, but right now she wanted both of her boys in her bed. She wanted to be warm, and wrapped in blankets between them.

"Woah, uh, this awkward." Chat and Ladybug broke apart and stared at who had spoken from right next to them. Carapace and Rena Rogue were standing right next to them, gawking. "Uh, I brought Rena since you left that message saying you were busy Chat. Um, wow." Carapace said scratching the back of his neck.

"Excuse me! What the actual fuck!" Rena shouted. Ladybug turned her attention to be friend and smacked her face, knowing exactly what was about to come out of her best friends mouth.

"Wait!" Chat tried to stop her, but Rena was already on a roll.

"Chat fucking Noir, you are unworthy! I cannot believe you are cheating on her like that! And you!" Rena turned on Ladybug, which in reality she should have expected, but she was unprepared for her friend's scathing words. "I cannot believe you Ladybug! Don't you know he has a girlfriend!"

"About that," Ladybug interjected, but she should have held her tongue.

"I can not even with you right now! You were my heroes and here you are on the Eiffel Tower making out while Marinette sits in her bed?!" Rena shouted.

"She has Adrien." Rena guffawed in Chat's face.

"She has Adrien, she has fucking Adrien!" Rena leaned onto Chat's shoulder. "She has motherfucking Adrien fucking Agreste." Ladybug shook her head. She had two options here: let her secret out again, or cover her ass and lie through her teeth. Her only problem was, she was out of lies.

"Can you believe what he's saying, Carapace? She has Adrien Agreste." Rena Rogue said dragging her boyfriend into the situation.

"Actually, she has all of us?" Chat offered. Ladybug gawked at him. Of all the lies to tell, this was the one that she liked the least. She couldn't wait to hear Rena's reaction to this one. It was not going to end well.

"What did you just say to me?" Rena grabbed him by the collar and yanked him down to her height. Carapace stepped forward, like he was going to break them up if things got ugly while Ladybug leaned against the metal with baited breath, seeing where this was going to go.

"I said, she has all of us."

"Explain yourselves, now."

"Well, it started a couple weeks ago when Ladybug here followed me on a night that we weren't supposed to be patrolling. She was curious if there was an attack she hadn't heard about. And when I landed on Marinette's skylight to wait for Adrien to shower so that I could say hello, she landed next to me and asked why I was being a class A creep." Rena cast her glance over at Ladybug who smirked and shrugged. She was going to let the cat get them out of this one. "Anyways, while I was waiting, she stuck around to talk. We haven't had much time to just talk lately, so she wanted to catch up. And well, when Marinette came up to say hi, I noticed Ladybug got all blushy and shy around Marinette,"

"Don't tell all of our secrets Chaton," Ladybug warned, knowing if he said too much, she was going to have to memorize the entire story to tell Alya when she interrogated her later over this new detail in their relationship.

"You have a thing for Marinette?" Rena half shouted. She threw her arms over her head and turned around to throw herself into her fiancee's open arms.

"She's just jealous that I'm the only superhero that fell for her." Carapace smirked as he stroked her hair in an attempt to calm her down.

"Marinette and Adrien were okay with it, but we're still trying to figure things out. This was the first time that Ladybug and I kissed since all of this started." Chat explained. Ladybug felt her heart stop for a moment when she realized the truth to those words. She had just kissed Chat Noir as Ladybug.

The first beep of miraculouses went around the entire group. The four all stared at each other for a moment, coming to an understanding. "Cat out!" Chat said running up next to her. "By the way, you still taste like sugar." He whispered before flying off the edge.

Ladybug's cheeks burned hot. She had never turned as red as her suit when she was Ladybug, but she was positive she was now. "Bug out!" She called, diving straight off the edge before casting her yo-yo. She debated only momentarily on letting herself splat on the ground.

"How did my best friend end up stringing in both hero's of Paris and Adrien Agreste?" Rena groaned as Carapace threw down his shield and they both hoped on top of it. Carapace knew better than to take Alya's moaning and groaning seriously. She was his and the jealousy she was showing now would fade a few hours.

"Because she's Marinette. Don't worry, you've got this hero all to yourself." Carapace winked as he held her hips tight to his so that he could properly maneuver the board back to his apartment, where they would both be spending the night.

"Mmm, that's all I need." Rena Rouge said, holding her arms out to balance as they zipped between buildings. Sure she was a little jealous, but she knew that her best friend only deserved the best. And if they were treating her well, it was none of her business.

Marinette collapsed in bed next to Adrien. He quickly turned off his phone and set it above their heads. "How was your midnight stroll, love?"

"Weird. But I needed that. I feel better now." She said rolling on her side to curl up against him.

"Ah, want to talk about it?"

"Not really," She said pressing her head to his bare chest. She had always assumed he stayed in shape because he went to the gym, but lately she realized he hadn't gone once since staying with her.

"Hmm," He hummed as he wrapped his arms around her waist. Rolling onto his back, he pulled her so that she was laying flat on his chest. "It's the new year, you know?"

"So?" Marinette questioned, glancing at his face, not understanding what he was getting at.

"Any New Years resolutions?" Adrien asked as he stroked his fingers down her back. Marinette sat up and yanked off her shirt so that she was just wearing the sports bra she had thrown on before she left.

"Finish high school with good grades, move out into my own place, do well at IFA, work hard at my internship, go out every week with you," She leaned down and kissed his lips gingerly, enjoying the softness. She noticed that he was beginning to have a split lip from the cold air. She wondered if he ever used chap stick as she pulled away.

"Every week? That sounds like a good idea. Speaking of which, tomorrow night, er, tonight? Either way, we're going out." Adrien said. He stroked her hair as she froze.

"We are?" She squeaked out. They hadn't really gone out on a date. The last time they had tried that, the media had swarmed the restaurant, so they had stuck to group outings ever since.

"Yes. Wear something nice. I'm taking you out for all of Paris to see." He beamed up at her, and she felt her cheeks flush just as much as they had on top of the tower.

"Adrien, you don't have to." Marinette sighed as she buried her head in his neck.

"Of course not, but I want to. I like spending time with you, and Nathalie specified that I needed to take you out before we were done with our Christmas break."

"She did?"

"Indeed. But enough talking," Adrien pulled her back down and into a searing kiss. The couple rolled again and then Adrien was on top of Marinette. "Happy New Years, Marinette."

"Happy New Years, Adrien," She smirked as she yanked him back down to her by the back of his neck. Marinette wished she could say she slept soundly, but she was soon awakened by Tikki.

"Tikki," she hissed, snatching the kwami from the air and rolling away from Adrien so that he didn't spot her.

"Paris needs you, Marinette." 

"Shit," She whispered, letting go of Tikki and scrambling down the ladder. She ran into the bathroom and shut the door. "What's going on?"

"The news said there's an akuma down by Arc de Triomphe. I didn't see anything else before I woke you up."

"What are we going to do, Tikki?" Marinette bit her lip and glanced around her bathroom.

"Save Paris before Adrien wakes up?"

Marinette nodded and hit the lights in the bathroom. "Tikki, spots on!" After the transformation was complete, she opened the door and flew out the bathroom window, hoping and praying that Adrien would stay asleep until she got home. Ladybug was flying there while Plagg was waking up Adrien.

"C'mon dude, wake up already." Plagg said as he shook Adrien's shoulders.

"Huh?" Adrien said sitting up and rubbing his eyes.

"Dude, Marinette's halfway to the akuma, wake up!" Plagg shouted as he rammed into Adrien's shoulder.

"What! Akuma?" He said as he pulled on a shirt.

"Arc de Triomphe! Transform Adrien!"

"Plagg, claws out," Adrien muttered as Plagg grabbed the ring. Seconds later he was Chat Noir and felt fully awake as he jumped through the skylight. He could see Ladybug arching through the streets and knew that he was going to have to be faster than her on the way home. Just as he saw her disappear over a rooftop, she quickly reappeared. She was flying through the sky, screaming at the top of her lungs. Chat used his baton to shoot forward and snatch her out of her freefall. The sudden shock in his shoulder made him wince as he gently landed on the rooftop, setting her back down on her feet.

"What are we dealing with, my lady?"

"Heck if I know. It threw me backwards before I ever saw it." Ladybug panted as she doubled over. "I think you broke a rib when you caught me."

"Oh god, are you okay?" He asked as he grabbed her shoulder.

"I'll be fine once this fight is over." She stood back up and tried to take a deep breath. She barely winced and proceeded to ready her yo-yo again. "I'll go in on the east, you enter on the west. It will only be able to focus on one of us."

"Stay safe," Chat said as he ran west. He knew that she always had a plan and that her plans always worked, so he had to keep trusting in her.

Ladybug ran along the roofs and zoomed back in from the east this time. There stood a man in all black, who almost seemed see through. "Hey!" She called. The man turned and she realized he was see through. She could see Chat Noir land directly behind him.

"Ladybug, I am Shadownator, give me your miraculous." The man hissed.

"How about no?" Ladybug stated as she took the man in. He was a shadow, literally. She glanced closely and and noticed that in the center, there was something that was more solid that the rest of him.

"Lucky Charm!" She shouted, throwing for it as Chat extended his baton and swiped at Shadownator. The akuma grimaced down at the baton that passed through where his legs would have been and turned on Chat Noir.

"Stupid cat, you can't touch me." The man said as he advanced on Chat Noir.

"Can't touch this?" Chat offered as he awkwardly tried to dance away. 

Ladybug would have probably laughed or chided him if she wasn't staring at the charm she had gotten this time. "A lighter?" She said as she flicked it. It flamed to life and the shadow whipped back around to stare at her.

"No!" He shouted as Ladybug stared at him. This seemed easy, almost too easy.

"Alright, Frankenstein, you don't like fire? Well let's play with fire!" Ladybug ran at the shadow, hoping that this wasn't the dumbest thing she could do.

"Seriously bugaboo? Leave the snappy comments to me," Chat chuckled as he tried to land a hit on the akuma with his baton. Ladybug ignored him as she dove to go between his legs. Her vision lit up and she lifted the lighter to just the right spot. The fabric caught fire and the sheet burned off of his body quickly. Leaving a man in black clothing exposed underneath.

"Chat! The necklace!"

"Cataclysm!" He jumped over the akuma and pressed a single claw against the necklace, causing it to crack and turn to dust. A butterfly fluttered out and Ladybug quickly snatched it from the air. Once it was purified, she let it fly away. 

The man in front of them dropped to his knees. "Where am I?" He asked as he glanced around in confusion.

"Arc de Triomphe. Can you make it home, sir?" Ladybug asked as she reached out and helped him to his feet.

"Why am I here? Was I akumatized?" He asked, grabbing her shoulders. "Where's my wife?"

"Sir, what happened? What do you last remember?" Chat asked, touching the man's shoulder.

"I, we were at a late movie, and we were walking home. And, oh god, get me to the hospital!" The man shouted, tears pouring down his face. "A car! The car hit her, I have to go see her!"

"Can you handle this Ladybug?" Chat asked as his miraculous beeped. Ladybug touched her earrings, surprised that they hadn't beeped yet since she had used her power before him.

"Yeah, goodnight Chat Noir," Ladybug muttered as she hooked her arm around his waist and took him to the nearest hospital. At the desk, the woman was able to identify that his wife was there.

"Monsieur Bisset, please sit down." The nurse said as Ladybug stood next to the desk. She heard the tone in the woman's voice and knew that she should stay here. The man sat, his hands shaking. Ladybug knelt next to him and took his hands. "Your wife, I'm afraid she didn't make it in the accident. I can take you to see her when you're ready."

"My Amanda didn't make it?" He said, fresh tears pouring down his face. Ladybug touched her ribs, pain still radiating from them.

"No," she whispered. Her hands tightened into fists and the feeling of metal against her gloves brought her attention back to the lighter. She stood up quickly and ran out the doors, throwing the lighter into the air. "Miraculous Ladybug!" A rush of red ran past her and changed the scene inside. Instead of the nurse standing there in front of a sad Monsieur Bisset, she was standing in front of the couple as they clutched each other and cried. Ladybug touched her chest and took a deep breath, feeling able to breath without pain.

She smiled at the scene and knew that next time, she would throw for the magic before letting her emotions lead her into a situation like that. She was blinded by that man's fear and let it guide her. If she had taken a moment, the couple wouldn't have had to feel that, even if it was only a minute. The citizens of Paris deserved better. Ladybug heard her earrings beep for the first time and she headed home. She crawled through the window and detransformed.

"Tikki, that was terrible. I can't believe Hawk Moth would take advantage of a grieving husband like that. That's almost as cruel as taking over children." Marinette whispered.

"That was the worst. We have to catch him soon," Tikki yawned.

"After we get some sleep." Marinette whispered. She glanced out the door and smiled as her eyes landed on Adrien's sleeping form. She crawled up into the bed and he shifted so that he was holding onto her once more. She nestled her head into his chest and quickly fell asleep since she was so exhausted. Adrien however laid in bed, wide awake. He couldn't help but be proud of her. She always went the extra step. He wished he could have stayed and helped her, but he knew better than that. He knew that he couldn't let her find out yet. Right now Marinette needed Chat Noir and Adrien to be two different people. Until they caught Hawk Moth.

That's what was really keeping Adrien awake. His mother was a miraculous holder who hadn't really left him, but been taken from him by his own father. Even if Gabriel Agreste wasn't Hawk Moth, he was at least working closely with the villain. Adrien sighed and tugged his girlfriend closer. Her hands brushed his bare chest and he could feel the chill of the rings on her fingers. It brought him out of his despairing thoughts for a moment as he took in the sight of her cuddled up against him. "I don't care if he's Hawk Moth, as long as I have you," He decided as leaned in to kiss her on the top of her head.

"Goodnight, Ladybug," He whispered.

"Mm, night, minou." Marinette softly muttered back. His heart was full with love, and for now, that was all he needed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry that took longer than usual, I have been slammed with my schedule. My boyfriend was in town for half the week, and so if I wasn't working, I was seeing him. Between that and my crazy family, I have been either working, running, sleeping, or living in the void. But the new chapter is out! Are you ready to see where this goes? You know you love me! And I live for all the emails I get about kudos and comments! Shoutout to Freedom Shamrock and mayuralover for leaving me comments on almost every chapter, it brings me actual joy! I love you all and I can't believe that you are reading and enjoying my story! Thanks! I promise next chapter will be out quicker than you think! Love, Emily!  
> P.S. I so watched Mayura and let me tell you, I was not fucking prepared, I died, and soul ascended into the void (hence why I spent time there this week). Adrinette? Being exactly what I needed? Ladynoir being perfect?? DJWIFI BEING ABSOLUTE AMAZINGNESS??!! Yeah, I enjoyed it, but don't spoil it for the others ;)  
> 


	22. Chat Noir, This Isn't Punny

Marinette would like to say that by Friday morning, she was well rested, ahead on her homework, and had a great time with Adrien not only on their date but during the rest of the week while they waited for his father and Nathalie to come back to Pairs. Instead, she could only say that caffeine had replaced her blood at this point, she had already gotten behind on her homework after only a week in school, and she was going to murder Hawk Moth if he decided to released one more damn akuma.

Monday night, Adrien had whisked her away to enjoy dinner at Le Cing, which was one of the most popular hotels in Paris. Once they had arrived, almost as dressed up as they had been for the wedding, Marinette had to excuse herself to the ladies room because a few tables away, a girlfriend rejected her boyfriend's proposal and he had become the Enrager. He was able to make anyone get tied up with a giant engagement ring. Ladybug had been less than impressed when Chat had caught one and offered it to her in the middle of the fight, but it had made her chest flutter at the thought. Once the fight was over, Marinette was almost too tired to enjoy the rest of their dinner.

Her welcome back to school present had been Sabrina getting akumatized due to Chloe telling her they were friends anymore. It had taken Ladybug half of the day to get Sabrina back to normal. She had gained the power to make friend hate each other. Not lovers, just friends. So when she had touched Chat Noir's chest and it made no difference, suddenly everyone found out about their relationship. Marinette had to face the media. Worse, she had to face her best friend grabbing her and yanking her into a supply closet to question her about why she hadn't been told about Marinette now dating Ladybug too. It had been a hard situation to tip toe around. By that evening, she had been annoyed and exhausted and barely started the project that was due Friday morning.

Wednesday there had been three akumas by midnight. Thursday there had been two. Once she had finished off the last one, Ladybug had turned and screamed at the sky, "Hawk Moth, I fucking dare you to show your face. I will punt you over the fucking moon!" Chat had to drag her away from screaming at the butterfly, before the camera crews got the footage. Unfortunately, they found them before they could run away, with Ladybug laying over Chat's shoulder, covering her face.

So on Friday morning, she showed up with her hair a frizzy mess, her project was probably actual bullshit, one of Adrien's way too large for her hoodies on her slim frame, and a extra large cup of pure espresso with one sugar packet in it. She slumped down in her chair and slammed her bag on her desk. Adrien fell into his chair next to her. He didn't look much better. His hair was messy, but it was the look good kind of messy unlike Marinette's. He was wearing a long sleeve black shirt and sweatpants. He sipped his coffee that was the same as Marinette's except no sugar at all.

"Wow, look what the cat dragged in," Chloe whistled. Marinette didn't even spare her a glance as she and Adrien both flipped the girl off. "Ugh, Adrikins, lighten up, it was a joke."

"At least wait until I have had my coffee, Chloe." Adrien muttered as he changed his sipping method to a gulping method. Marinette yanked out her tablet and promptly placed her head on her desk.

"Head up girl," Alya said as she stepped behind Marinette and yanked her up. She ran her fingers through her friend's hair and pulled it up into a short ponytail. "Make it through today and we can go home and watch movies."

"Sounds like a good idea." Marinette muttered as she focused on her coffee. Class started and went smoothly. She was able to catch up on her homework at lunch. Adrien helped her, but it looked like he was busy trying to finish his as well. They received their exam grades and found that they had both reached the top of their class. The duo had both been competing for top of the class, but it was going to be a close one.

By the end of the day, Marinette was beginning to feel better. Until she heard screams from outside of the school. She glanced around the mostly empty locker room and ducked inside her locker. "Tikki," the kwami flew up.

"Let's go, Marinette!"

"Spots on!" Ladybug burst out of the locker and went running out the doors of the front of the school. Standing in front of her, on top of the roof across from the school, was someone she had never actually seen in person. She stood there, frozen to the spot as Chat Noir ran up next to her.

"I believe you dared me to show my face, Ladybug? Well here I am." The man in front of the cackled. Ladybug's mouth dropped open as she took in the scene before her.

"Hawk Moth?" Chat Noir muttered in shock.

"The one and only." Hawk Moth gloated from above them. Ladybug bit her lip and scanned the scene, grimacing as she took in the man.

"Chat, he's either an illusion, or he has an akuma waiting to attack us. Unless he's actually insane enough to full on attack us at this point." Ladybug whispered. She spied Rena and Carapace showing up next to the bakery. She glanced to the other side and saw Queen Bee appear behind Hawk Moth, on top of the building.

"Well prove it. I doubt you showed yourself just because I dared you to. That seems pretty unlike you." Ladybug commented as she tossed her yo-yo up and down in the air, hoping that Queen Bee would understand the signal.

Chat watched as Rena lifted her flute to her lips while Carapace gave her a lift off the ground. The scene stayed the same, except for Ladybug was no longer standing next to him, but was running directly towards the building. He was afraid to reach out, but he felt like she hadn't left his side. Especially when he spotted himself running next to her.

"You're right, Ladybug. I came here to get your miraculous!" Hawk Moth swung his staff at the Ladybug that was advancing on him just as Queen Bee leapt at him, her stinger ready with her power, and jammed it straight into his back. The illusion vanished as the true Ladybug landed on the roof top. She turned fast and snatched Hawk Moth with her yo-yo. She held tight as Queen Bee's power broke. 

"Menaces, the lot of you." He sneered. Chat Noir landed on the roof next to Ladybug and glared at the man in front of them.

"Really? The biggest menace in Paris is going to Scooby Doo us? Cat, where?" Chat joked as Carapace landed with Rena Rouge next to Ladybug.

"Ah, but Chat Noir, you forget. That only happens once you unmask me. But who is going to unmask who?" He asked as he stepped back onto the ledge.

Ladybug wrapped the yo-yo string around her arm and yanked back with all of her might, but Hawk Moth didn't move. She had thrown people halfway across Paris. She could jump and land miles away. Ladybug was strong, but here she was facing off against Hawk Moth and he wasn't budging. Carapace lifted his shield and got ready to pitch it as Rena lifted her flute to her lips again. Bee threw her top and it wrapped itself around Hawk Moth too. Both women yanked, but still he didn't budge.

"What is he made of? Cement?" Bee groaned.

"No, I just like to eat my protein for breakfast." Hawk Moth said as he leapt backwards, dragging both women forward. Chat hooked his arms around their waists and held tight. Carapace jumped back on his shield and flew off the roof in order to help them pull him back up as Rena ran to the edge.

"Carapace!" Rena shouted.

"You ladies got this?" Chat asked.

"Go!" Ladybug shouted through her grit teeth. Queen Bee's first beep gave off a distinct tone and Ladybug yanked on the string. It gave a little as her muscles began to shake with the effort.

Chat dove off the roof and checked on Carapace, who was laying on the ground, not moving. He found a pulse and that his friend was breathing fine, but that he had been knocked unconscious. "He's fine," he reassured Rena, who looked ready to take Hawk Moth's head for her fireplace mantle.

Chat leveled his baton beneath the villain and attempted to push him back towards the roof, but he wiggled away with every try, cackling as he did. Chat finally gave up and used his baton to come eye to eye with the villain. "Why do you want our miraculouses?"

"Because, I need to make a wish so that things go back to how they were supposed to." Hawk Moth sneered. "You wouldn't understand. No one understands."

"Dude, that may be because of the fact that you seem to have lost your yarn balls if you catch my drift." Chat commented as he grabbed the man and threw him back onto the roof. Ladybug walked up to the man and grabbed him by the collar of his suit before she released her yo-yo  and Queen Bee drew back her top.

"You've lost. Face it, you came at us, and you lost." Ladybug said as she tightened her hold on him.

"Did I?" His staff flew out from behind his back and he struck Ladybug across the face with it before planting a kick straight to her chest. He turned and slammed the staff into Chat's rib cage and Chat barely jumped back before he could strike him again. Hawk Moth turned a full circle and slammed it straight into Bee's temple, knocking her flat on the roof. She didn't get up and Chat had to hope she was only unconscious. Ladybug stood back up, and spit blood and a tooth out of her mouth.

Rena stepped up and swung at him with her flute, it connected with Hawk Moth's staff. Chat swung his baton and sent the other's weapons flying. Rena scrambled for her flute. "Cataclysm." Chat usually was more enthusiastic, but he held his baton against Hawk Moth's throat and stared at the man. "Don't, fucking, move," he said with a look of intensity that Marinette had never seen on him before.

"It's over Hawk Moth." Ladybug took a breath and called for her lucky charm. A miraculous box fell into her hand as she continued to stare down the man. "Give it up."

Hawk Moth frowned as he glanced between the heroes. Rena Rouge stood behind Ladybug, holding both her flute and his staff once again. "I need your miraculouses, I have to fix it."

"Fix what?" Ladybug said as she stepped towards him.

"Someone I was close to messed up, I have to fix it so that they can live again. I have to turn back the clock." He explained.

"No, there's a balance in this world. If you use our miraculouses, you will upset that balance and the world will have to correct itself." Ladybug said as she continued to advance. "Hand over the butterfly miraculous." Ladybug noticed the red and blue lights below and heard the news helicopter above them, gathering the video image of what was playing out on the roof. She wanted nothing more than to send them all away. There were too many variables right here and now. Too many things could happen. Her vision was greyscale, but nothing was turning red and black.

"You want my miraculous?" Hawk Moth said as his hand enclosed around the butterfly brooch he wore on his neck.

"Either you give it up, or she takes it." Rena chimed in. 

"I'd give it up, it'll be less painful." Chat nodded as he bumped his baton against Hawk Moth's throat for extra effect.

Ladybug took one last step and stopped before him. She held out the box. "We can make this easy on you. If you cooperate, we will put in a good word with the police."

"Hmm," Hawk Moth hummed. "I'll take my chances."

Her vision changed just in time. He ripped the brooch off his neck and threw it as he jumped backwards off the rooftop again. Ladybug threw her yo-yo and caught him around the waist as he detransformed. "Chat! Get the miraculous!" Ladybug called.

But Chat Noir didn't move from next to her. "CHAT!"

"Ladybug," he muttered. "That's,"

"It doesn't matter who he is or if you know him, Chat, you have to get the butterfly miraculous, please!" Ladybug pleaded as she pulled at her string, avoiding looking away from her partner. She didn't want to look down and confirm her suspicions, she already assumed she knew based on his not so shocked reaction. She didn't want to feel that guilt on her chest if she had been right all along. She pulled at the string again, yanking up Hawk Moth closer. "Chat, please."

He looked up at her and nodded before diving into the crowd below to seek out the miraculous. The people parted and gave him room, offering to help him. Ladybug pulled the string again and came face to face with Gabriel Agreste. "How could you do this? Don't you care about your wife or son at all?" Ladybug whispered as she yanked him onto the roof and grabbed him by the front of his crisp white suit. The anger burned away her guilt momentarily. He had never treated Adrien well, lately he had gotten better, but what he had done today would never be amendable in Ladybug's eyes.

"Why would you care? You won't even let me bring my real wife back to life." Gabriel snapped at Ladybug. She shook her head.

"You married a woman that you don't even love, didn't you? You should be ashamed of yourself."

"It matters nothing to you! Emilie was everything to me, I'm trying to save her so that my family can go back to how it was before!" Gabriel shouted.

"No, but it should to you! You hurt your son and Nathalie because you're a fucking idiot!" Rena shouted as she came to Ladybug's side. "What are they supposed to think of this? How should they feel to know that you threw them and their lives aside just because your wife is gone!"

"Well Nathalie already knows, and I bet by now," Gabriel looked up and grinned at the helicopter. "Adrien probably knows too. So I guess the world will find out how they truly feel, eventually."

Ladybug wanted nothing more than to make him quake in his shoes where he stood. She wanted nothing more than for him to fear her, but this man did not know fear. He was as fearless as he was stupid if he thought the stunt he pulled today would have allowed him to get their miraculouses. The police stormed the roof and Ladybug happily threw him over to them. She picked up Queen Bee and jumped off the side of the roof, causing the crowds to gasp. She swung down and landed gracefully next to Chat Noir.

"It's gone," Chat whispered as he stared blankly across the emptying street. Police barricades were being set up all around the building.

"What?" Ladybug whispered as she stepped up so that she was able to face him.

"I searched the entire road. Someone had to have taken it. Either that or he never threw it."

Ladybug turned on her heel. "Search him! Look for a purple butterfly brooch!" She shouted at the officers who were shoving him into a patrol car.

Bee groaned in Ladybug's arms as she came to just in time for her transformation to break. "Oof, that's gonna hurt." Chloe muttered as she touched her temple. Ladybug set her down and turned back to Chat.

"We can search later. I have to go,"

"Good luck, Ladybug." Chat said as he ran off behind the school.

"Get Carapace out of here before you two detransform." Ladybug commanded Rena before she touched Chloe's temple, instantly healing it. "Go home, rest up, and then go see a doctor, you may be concussed."

"Ladybug!" Reporters were yelling her name left and right. She turned around and faced them.

"How does it feel to have finally brought down Hawk Moth?"

"It's a moot point to me. Many of you have already begun to leak his name and spread the story as wide as the internet allows. But let me remind you of something. Humanity. You're here because it's the biggest scoop of the year. But what about his wife? Or his son? What about his family and his company and everything else that he cared about? That's why he was Hawk Moth. Not because he hated Paris, but because he loved something so much that he was willing to sacrifice Paris and more to get it back. So yes, go and celebrate that Hawk Moth is caught, but don't tear apart what he loved. Remember your humanity." Ladybug tried to smile, she really did, but there was too much heaviness in her heart as she cast her yo-yo and hid inside the school before changing back. Tikki touched her face before she hid in Marinette's purse. Marinette quickly fished out her phone and called Adrien.

"C'mon, pick up pick up pick up." She muttered as she fled back into the streets where reporters were now questioning the officers on the scene.

"Marinette?" Adrien croaked.

"Where are you hunny?"

"I'm at home, in your room."

"Turn off the tv, I'm coming." Marinette felt her heart break as she ran into the bakery and up the stairs, past her parents who were huddled in front of the tv, and burst into her room. Her eyes found Adrien, kneeling on the floor, covering his face with his hands as sobs raked his body.

She landed in front of him as he fell into her. His head landed on her lap and she ran her hands through his hair as tears began to build. She had been strong enough to not cry for him as she confronted the media. She had been strong enough to not break when she heard his voice crack over the phone. But sitting here in front of him as he sobbed for a father that he had thought was beginning to come around to being a better dad, she wasn't strong enough to hold it together. She cried and held him for hours. The light faded from the sky. Tom and Sabine would open the door every hour to check on them, but they didn't enter the room. They just would make sure they were still holding together. Brownies ended up next to them as they began to lose the energy to cry. At some point, they moved so that they were both laying on the floor, Marinette curled up behind Adrien, holding him close to her chest.

The sniffles soon stopped as their breathing evened out once the sun was gone and they could see stars appearing outside.

"Marinette?"

"Yes?"

"Why?"

"I don't know."

"Why would he do that to us?"

"I," Marinette sighed. "Adrien, I don't know his answer, but I'm sure it's because he loves you."

"But my mom is gone. Whether she's that Paon or not, she's gone. Why would he do that? He loved Nathalie enough to marry her, why would he do that to us?" Adrien's voice cracked as the tears began again.

"Adrien, I'm so sorry. I wish that I could change this all. I wish that you didn't have to witness any of this." Marinette held him tight and kissed his back and neck until he calmed down once again.

"I love you, Mari."

"I love you too." She felt a weak smile lift her lips. She uncurled herself and stood up. She glanced at her phone, which she had heard go off about a hundred times since she had gotten home. She would talk to everyone later.

Marinette scooped Adrien off the floor. He stared at her in surprise as she kicked up her door and walked them both downstairs. Her parents were not in the living room, which Marinette was thankful for as she set Adrien down on the couch. She quickly gathered two spoons and a container of ice cream before sitting herself next to him. They cuddled up under a blanket and enjoyed the mint chip ice cream together.

In the morning, Sabine and Tom came out early to open the bakery, and stood in the kitchen, staring at the teens sprawled out on their couch. Adrien laying on top of Marinette, both loosely holding spoons with a tub of melted ice cream sitting on the floor. Tom smiled and patted Sabine's shoulder.

"At least they have each other."

"That's true love right there." They cleaned up Adrien's and Marinette's mess and walked out of the apartment in order to open up the bakery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my lovely readers, I told you that you wouldn't have to wait long for the next installment! Don't hate me for this, I promise everything gets better! Good news though! I got a promotion at work already (I've been here for less than 3 weeks, so imagine my shock when I got told today)! Once they get another new girl and train her, I'll be working better hours and have a full weekend again, so then I'll be able to write more often! Thanks for reading!  
> 


	23. Good Friends in Bad Places

The sun was high in the sky by the time Marinette woke up. Adrien's head still laid on her chest, fast asleep as he listened to her heart beat. Marinette gently ran her fingers through his messy locks. Her head was pounding and she really wanted her phone and a glass of water. She spared a glance to the coffee table and sighed in relief. Her mom had left a bottle of advil, two glasses of water, and both of their phones that were plugged into the wall. "Thank you, maman," Marinette whispered as she reached over and snatched some advil and water first before quickly grabbing her phone. She had left it along for the night and all of yesterday, she wasn't sure how bad the damage was going to be.

When she unlocked it, she thought her heart had stopped beating for a moment. She had 30 missed calls and over a hundred messages. Half of them belonged to the group chat her girlfriends had made, most of which were asking how they were doing. She scrolled through them frowning, but decided not to answer. Surprisingly there was one from Chloe that simply asked if Adrien was okay. Marinette paused for a long moment before she tapped out a response letting her know that he was holding together pretty well and that she'd let him know Chloe was asking about him. The next one's were from the group chat she had with Nino and Alya. She frowned at their messages. They were begging to see her and Adrien.

She sighed and dialed Alya's number. It only had to ring once. "Hey," she whispered when she heard Alya pick up.

"Please tell me he's okay," Nino answered.

"Oh, hi Nino. He's okay. He hasn't woken up yet. I think he's still processing everything." Marinette explained, carding her hand through his hair as Adrien nuzzled closer.

"Mari! Are you okay?" She listened as Alya obviously snatched her phone back.

"I'm," she thought for a long moment. "I'll be okay, I'm pretty numb right now."

"I can't believe he would do that to his own family. What was he thinking!"

"Alya, I don't know, but right now I don't really care. I just want Adrien to feel better." Marinette felt the tears prick her eyes again and she quickly blinked them away. "Oh god I just want him to be okay,"

"He's strong, 'Nette, it'll be okay."

"I know," Marinette sniffed back the tears. "I know he is, and I want to be strong for him, but I don't know what to do for him."

"Just keep being you girl! You're amazing and you love each other! It'll work out," Alya encouraged her. Marinette's phone buzzed and she pulled it away as Alya started to ask if they could come over soon. 

"I gotta go. I think the police are trying to call me," Marinette said as she quickly answered the other call. "Hello?"

"Mlle Dupain-Cheng?" A familiar voice asked from the other end.

"This is,"

"This is Lieutenant Raincomprix. Is Adrien with you?"

"Oh, Lieutenant! Yes, he's sleeping. What can I do for you?" Marinette felt her heart leap, worried why he would need to speak with Adrien.

"I've got to ask him a few questions. You two can either come down here, or I can come see you at your home, whatever will be more comfortable for you guys." He offered. Marinette froze, not sure what Adrien would prefer.

Just as she was about to ask if she could call him back in a little bit, Adrien reached out and took the phone. He raised it to his ear. "What can I do for you sir?"

Marinette stared at him. He hadn't even opened his eyes yet, but he seemed wide awake based on the fact that his voice wasn't groggy at all. She tried to listen to the conversation, but it was hard when the volume on her phone was turned low enough that she couldn't hear the policeman. "Sounds good. I can be down there in a bit. Thank you sir." Adrien hung up and handed her the phone again. "Sorry dear, your chest was moving while you were talking. Figured that'd be easier."

When Adrien glanced up at her with a small sad smile, her heart leapt into her throat. "I'm just glad that you're feeling better."

"I believe you described the feeling as being numb. That seems to be what I'm feeling right now." He leaned up and kissed her forehead. "But unfortunately we have things to do. Let's go get dressed." 

Adrien gently rolled off of her and took some of the advil that Sabine had left out for them. He took them with a sip of water and slipped his phone into his sweatpants pocket. He held Marinette's hand as they walked upstairs. He slipped on a red button up and a pair of jeans. It wasn't his usual look, but he wanted to be comfortable while still looking good. He looked over at Marinette as she stepped out of her closet wearing a black dress that had a green stitching. He smirked at how they were wearing each others' colors without her even knowing it. She walked up to him and helped him fix his hair. "Sorry, I messed it up, figured I should be the one to fix it."

"Thanks," he said touching her face. "I mean it."

"I know. C'mon. We should go." Marinette said glancing away.

"No, Marinette, I mean it. Thank you, for everything." Adrien frowned, wishing that she'd understand that it wasn't just Adrien thanking her, but Chat Noir thanking her and her alter ego. He wanted to transform right there and then and sweep her off her feet and disappear. He wanted to be Chat Noir so that he didn't have to be Adrien Agreste. Chat didn't have to worry about Gabriel Agreste unlike Adrien. He didn't want to feel bad. He had spent so much of the last few years feeling bad because of his father, but now he was ready to feel better. As much as it sucked, he had to see this as a chance to start with a clean slate.

"I'd do anything for you. Now come on, we should go before the reporters all show up." Adrien nodded. They bundled up and walked into the bakery. Sabine and Tom glanced up at them.

"Where are you kids off to?" Sabine asked, concern clear in her eyes, but she kept her tone steady.

"Police department, they have some questions I guess," Marinette shuffled her feet, avoiding her mother's intense look. She hadn't been brave enough to ever ask if the apron had been her mother's way of saying she knew everything, but she figured that she had to know by now. Marinette would have come home at the same time as Adrien if she wasn't Ladybug. Her mother had to have noticed a pattern over the years, she was highly intelligent, she couldn't have missed it.

"I see. I'll walk out with you. There were some reporters poking around earlier, but a few of them probably stuck around after my last shoo session." Sabine said picking up a broom and walking out ahead of the couple. The second that they walked out the front door, they were swarmed. Flashes from cameras, microphones being shoved into their faces, a gutsy man even decided to grab Marinette's forearm. She turned and slammed her arm over his and forced him to release her. 

"Hey!" Marinette shouted, causing most of the chatter to stop as all the cameras focused in on her face. "Seriously, not even 24 hours later and you are treating us like this? Give us some space." Marinette snatched Adrien's hand and pulled him through the crowd. They reached open air and took off running, leaving Sabine smiling in front of the bakery. On the way there, she told him that their friends were worried about him. He smiled and said he'd seen the messages and would talk to everyone later. Adrien and Marinette only slowed down as they reached the station. 

"Do you want me to come inside?" She turned to Adrien, but his grip tightened on her hand as she asked.

"Please don't leave me alone," He whispered. She noticed the tear tracks that lined his cheeks and that his voice was cracking again. She wanted to wipe them away and to console him, but she knew here wasn't the place nor the time.

"Never, unless you ask me to." She squeezed his hand back and they walked in before more media people could flag them down.

Inside Lieutenant Raincomprix greeted them and escorted them back to his office. "Normally we would do this in an interview room, but I don't see that as necessary today, kids."

"Thank you," Marinette whispered as she sat in the leather chair next to Adrien, his hand never leaving hers.

"How are you doing, Adrien?"

Adrien just swallowed and nodded, causing the man to sigh. "Look, I don't want to ask these, but I have to, okay?"

"We understand," Marinette reaffirmed for Adrien who was studying their interlocked hands.

"Adrien, did you have any indication about this?"

"About the fact that my father was a sadistic sociopath that was hellbent on terrorizing the city?" Adrien turned and looked at the Lieutenant. "No, I had no clue. Sure he wasn't the best dad and yeah we had a bad relationship after my mom disappeared, but I thought things were getting better."

"And he never mentioned this?"

"We didn't exactly have daily dinner sessions where we'd discuss our lives. I doubt he would have thought me important enough to have told." Adrien shrugged.

"Adrien, has he ever hurt you?"

"What?" Marinette said before Adrien could even react.

"Just the standard questions, Marinette." Sabrina's dad reassured them.

"Not physically. For the longest time he tried to emotionally manipulate me, but I think he stopped caring as much as I got older. He even arranged for me to live with Marinette while he was out of the country." Adrien shrugged. Marinette shut her eyes and clenched her jaw as she tried to not get any more angry at Gabriel Agreste than she already had been.

"Did you ever tell anyone?"

"No. They couldn't have done anything against a man of his caliber. I used to think he was just powerful cause he was rich, but I guess there was more to it than that." Adrien ran his thumb across Marinette's knuckles.

"Did he give you his miraculous?"

"Excuse me?" Adrien frowned as he looked up at the policeman.

"Did he give you his miraculous? The thing of his power? We were unable to help Ladybug and Chat Noir find it at the crime scene."

"No, I wasn't even there! I saw everything happen at Marinette's on her television!" Adrien said, feeling his stomach drop at such a question.

"Alright, we just need to check everything, make sure it didn't fall into the wrong hands. Not that yours would be the wrong ones, but Paris doesn't need that kind of thing floating around right now." The man stood from behind his desk. "My last question is, do you want to see your dad? He asked to see you if you came to the station."

Adrien paused, his eyes glancing over to Marinette momentarily. "No, I don't want to see him. You can tell him that I'll see him when he goes to court." He stood and helped Marinette to her feet. "Let's go see Nino and Alya. If we have to do a press release, I'd prefer it be through them."

"Sure thing." Marinette said as they left the office and walked to the front of the department. The paparazzi had found them again and they made a mad dash for Nino's apartment. They arrived in record time and stormed up the stairwell before knocking on his door. The door flew open and they were dragged inside as Nino hugged them.

"I'm glad you guys came. I'm so sorry," Nino whispered as he clung to his best friends. Marinette found herself clutching onto the boys as Alya shut the door behind them. 

"I'm okay," Adrien said several times over, as if he was trying to convince himself more than Nino. Marinette broke away first and threw her arms around Alya, who was standing further off to the side. Marinette only wondered for a fraction of a second until she realized that Alya had been there. She had stood there and watched it all happen. Nino had been unconscious, so he only found out once it was over, but Alya had to stand there as Rena and watch the entire thing. She probably felt responsible for part of Adrien's sadness.

"It's going to be alright," Marinette reassured her best friend. "It'll all be okay."

"I know, but oh god, this is horrible." Alya's voice was barely audible. "How could he do that to us?"

Marinette knew exactly what Alya meant. They had been fighting their best friend's father for their entire high school career. They had been trying to keep Paris safe from him for years. "I don't know, it's over though."

"Oh Marinette," Alya said, digging her fingers into her friend's arms. "What if someone else found that thing that he used to be Hawk Moth? What if there's someone else?"

"Ladybug and Chat Noir will find it, I promise." Marinette said squeezing back. Her eyes drifted over to Adrien who was staring at her.

"Yeah, they will," He agreed. "They always know what to do."

Marinette smiled at him and the group shortly drifted apart. "I think you guys came here for a reason?" Alya asked pulling out her phone.

"Yeah, we did. There's only one reporter in the world who deserves a scoop today." Adrien's lips twitched, like he was trying to smile but he couldn't force his face to work.

Nino clapped his shoulder, "I hate to break it to you dude, but the media has been running a story for the last couple hours." Nino flicked on the tv and the couple turned to it. 

"Hey!" Marinette's voice filled the room, but she hadn't even opened her mouth yet. "Seriously, not even 24 hours later and you are treating us like this! Give us some space!"

"As you can see here, Adrien Agreste has been so severely shocked by this turn of events that he's been reduced to letting his girlfriend run the press releases." Nadja reported on the screen.

Marinette smacked her forehead. "You've got to be fucking kidding. To think I babysat for her for years. I swear, she will never get another interview from me for the rest of her damn life."

"Calm down, Mari. She doesn't have a story at all. They're grasping, we'll set them straight." Adrien's words shook the entire group. They were surprised by how strong he sounded as he wiped the corners of his eyes. "Besides, they deserve to know how we feel about things."

"How do we feel?" Marinette asked. She knew inside her was an anger burning fast. She was pissed that Gabriel Agreste had done the things that he had, but there was a sorrow there as well.

"Disheartened. Upset. Betrayed." Adrien counted on his fingers as he listed off emotions. "But most importantly, relieved. Hawk Moth was a terror against Paris for so long. I'm just thankful that he's gone, even if he turned out to be my father. I mean, yeah, that sucks and it hurts and I'm angry with him for what he decided to do, but think about it. Hawk Moth affected us for so long, and now, there's endless possibilities of what we can do with our lives. And once Ladybug and Chat Noir find that miraculous, our lives will go back to being as normal as they had been before there were villains and superheroes in our city." Adrien had grasped Marinette's hands at some point.

"And what about Chat Noir and Ladybug?" Marinette whispered, realizing that if there was no Hawk Moth, there was no real threat for her to fight. Sure she could still assist the police, but there was no longer a villain terrorizing the city.

"They will probably still help save the city just like always, but they wouldn't have to work as hard. Paris can finally have some peace." Adrien stroked Marinette's face and her breath caught. "Everyone can." He leaned in and kissed her with a passion that was familiar to her by now. It was like a fire that lit her soul up.

"Well you heard it from the source Paris. The lovebirds are at peace, Hawk Moth is behind bars, and Paris's very own superheroes can rest easy now. Alya out!" Alya's signature sign off forced Marinette to break away from her boyfriend.

"You were recording?" She spluttered.

"Hey, can't let those kind of speeches fall through the cracks." Alya shrugged as she pecked Nino's cheek. "Besides, now that you're here, maybe we can focus on some happy things?"

"Like?" Adrien asked as he and Nino sat down on the couch. Alya picked up her laptop and turned it to the boys as Marinette leaned across the back of it in order to see the screen.

"I found a place that's pretty central to where we'll all have to be in the fall. What do you guys think?" Marinette's jaw dropped as they scrolled through the images of a 3 bedroom townhouse. It was in the exact location that they all needed too.

"It's perfect."

"I know, right? I figured the third room would work well for an office and sewing room. We could throw some desks and stuff in there and make it work. There's also a basement that we could turn into a gaming room or theater." Alya pointed out while showing the group the exact pictures. "It just needs some love."

"I think that will be work for what we need." Adrien smiled for the first time in the last day and it felt like the sun was shinning through the clouds again.

"I already told you what I thought." Nino shrugged as he threw an arm around Adrien's shoulders.

"Let's do it." Marinette grinned as she jumped over the back of the couch and landed in between the boys. Things had definitely hit a low, and it would take time to get everything back to normal, but for now? She was good. They're group had made it through some ugly things, they could survive this. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey hey hey, 3 days in a row? I'm doing alright! Now, for the details. I will be working hard the next 4 days. I will be working at work and then coming home and making Christmas candy with my family. Like, our entire house will smell like peppermint and cinnamon for days to come. So I may not be able to update again until Saturday evening. Everyone have a great week and keep commenting! I appreciate all the love!


	24. To Be or Not, I've Got Your Back

When Marinette and Adrien got home, the bakery was closed for the day and Tom and Sabine were upstairs cooking dinner. "I'm glad you're home. There's some things we wanted to talk to you two while we eat dinner." Tom grinned as he placed a beef roast onto the table. Marinette quickly threw off her coat on the hanger and rushed to help set the table. Adrien quickly followed and got out glasses of water for everyone.

Once the table was set and everyone sat down, Sabine began to scoop out some of the dish for everyone. The table had a peaceful silence as everyone dug into the meal. "Adrien, dear, since your father has been incarcerated, have you heard from Nathalie?"

Adrien stopped chewing and fished out his phone to check and see. He hadn't even bothered to look at his messages since the incident. He scrolled to Nathalie's name and noticed she hadn't sent him anything. "No," he said after he swallowed. "She hasn't texted or called me at all. After dinner I should probably call her." He frowned. It hadn't even occurred to him that this was strange. He had become so use to being able to being at the Dupain-Cheng household and not having adults always hovering, that he hadn't noticed how odd it was for her to not have reached out at all.

"Hmm, please do, we just wanted to talk to her about what we were thinking." Sabine said patting Adrien's shoulder.

"Which was?" Marinette asked as she took Adrien's hand under the table.

"Well, your father and I discussed it, and since we know that you and your friends are moving in together when you graduate, we decided if Adrien wanted to finish out high school living here, he can. We thought it may cause less problems for you, Adrien. I understand that right now is a hard time in your life, but you are always welcome here. I think you should speak to Nathalie about it though." Sabine smiled gently, in a way that was reassuring. 

"Really?" Adrien's mouth was open and his eyes were wide as he registered what Sabine had just told him. "You'd let me live with you until we graduate?"

"Of course, you're always a joy to have and you help out your fair share. Though, I guess you'd have to make sure Marinette is okay with sharing her room for that long." Tom joked with a sharp laugh.

"Papa, of course I would be okay with that, but I think it's up to Adrien more than any of us." Marinette rolled her eyes as her heart leapt at the idea of Adrien moving in for real. She hadn't really thought of how different it would be if he left. Since they had been dating, she had either him or Chat Noir in her bed. It was never just herself laying there. If Adrien had moved home, would Chat still warm her bed at night? Or would she have to sleep alone again.

"I would appreciate that a lot. Thank you," Adrien scooted his chair back and got up to hug Sabine.

"You're welcome dear, you're family. Family is always welcome here."

After dinner was cleaned up, Adrien called Nathalie. When he was met with her voicemail, he was stunned. Never before had she ignored his calls. If he had ever called her before, she would always answer him, unlike his father. "I'm going to run back there, I need to check on her and make sure everything is okay." Adrien smiled as he pulled on his coat.

"Do you want me to come?" Marinette offered.

"Nah, I'll be quick. I just want to make sure she's okay." He kissed her forehead and waved goodbye before running down the stairs and out the door. Once he was down the street, he transformed and flew across rooftops. Chat Noir didn't stop until he was at the front doors of the manor. He dropped his transformation quickly and stepped over the police tape.

"Why couldn't we just wait til morning?" Plagg complained until Adrien handed him a piece of cheese.

"Because, I need to know that Nathalie is fine. It's unlike her to not answer her phone." Adrien shrugged. He used his hand print to unlock the front door and walk inside. It was pitch black until he entered the code to turn on all the lights in the house. He strolled towards her bedroom, and noticed that it was eerily quiet and empty. He assumed none of the staff was there and that even if Nathalie was here, she was probably in her room.

"I know you lived here your whole life, but this place seems pretty creepy right now." Plagg commented as he floated above his shoulder.

"You're not wrong Plagg. I don't think it's ever been this quiet in here." Adrien said, listening to his words echo down the hall. He found Nathalie's door and knocked hesitantly. "Nathalie?"

There was no response. He tried the door and was surprised when it opened without him turning the knob. His stomach churned as he walked inside and hit the light switch. At first glance, nothing looked wrong. Until he realized the bed wasn't crisply made like usual and that he clipboard was halfway hanging off the nightstand. He stepped further in and swallowed the anxiety down. He picked up her phone that was sitting on the nightstand and glanced at it. There was so many missed calls that he couldn't even count them all, but the last one was his. He crept into the bathroom that was attached and noticed that everything was exactly as he had left it. He lifted his phone in order to make a call, but then he stopped. He couldn't call Marinette. She would just show up as Ladybug and the police would come. He didn't want to call the police and look like an idiot. 

"Hey Plagg, any chance you can sense if Nathalie was here recently?"

"Pss, not a chance. That's Tikki's expertise." Plagg said as he laid on the bed.

"What are you good for?"

"I can tell you someone is here though. There's another heartbeat in the house."

"Alright, that works for me. Lead me to them."

"Uh, that only works if you aren't transformed. You want to face a possible serial killer as Adrien Agreste?" Plagg hesitated.

Adrien chuckled. "You'll save me. Might destroy Paris in the process, but I trust you." He patted Plagg on the head before following the kwami through the house. They landed in his father's atrium and Plagg stopped in front of the painting of Adrien's mom.

"It's down from here. I don't know where to go though." Plagg shrugged.

Adrien frowned. "There's no basement that I know of." He absently ran his fingers across the painting and flinched back when he felt a divet in the painting. At first he thought that he had ripped the canvas, until he realized that there was no imperfection in sight. He did it again in the same spot, and found two of his fingers catching. He placed his forearm at the top and began to ran it down the painting, feeling several places where there was not a flat surface.

"Dude, it's kinda weird that you're feeling up a painting of your mother." Plagg stated.

"Hang on." Adrien pressed his fingers along each of the marks and a hole in the floor slid open.

"Plagg, claws out!" Adrien shouted as he shot through the floor. He transformed before he hit the ground, but still tumbled out at the bottom of the drop and rolled until he stopped in the middle of a large room. One end was dark with the outline of a blocked off window, while the other was well lit but far off. Chat Noir peered down. He could make out something glass and something dark next to it.

"Alright, I've seen enough horror movies to be terrified." He whispered to himself. He ran down the aisle way, but if he was honest, it was more of a slow jog. He wasn't sure what he was going to encounter.

Marinette was climbing the stairs to her room when she noticed it. The little red and black spotted box laying open on the top step, dropped in the corner. Her heart stopped as she reached up to touch her face, feeling her tooth that was very much there. She snatched the miraculous box and sprinted into her bathroom. She stripped down quickly and did a full 360 in front of the mirror. She had thought Hawk Moth had broken ribs with the kick he delivered to her chest, yet there wasn't a single bruise on her chest or anywhere else on her body. The rope burns she was certain would dig deep into her hands from holding Hawk Moth were gone. 

"Tikki!" She quietly demanded the kwami's presence. 

"Marinette? Is something wrong?" Tikki asked as she flew into the bathroom.

"I didn't use this yesterday. How am I healed?" She asked as she continued investigating her body. She wasn't sure what to feel. Marinette should have been overjoyed that she was miraculously healed without using her powers, but instead she was terrified.

Tikki floated next to her and smiled at her in a way that just unnerved Marinette even more. "What!" She finally shouted.

"Marinette, your powers are coming in full. You're healing yourself without even thinking about it. The last Ladybug that did that was centuries ago. None of them were that fast at it either, especially out of the suit." Tikki complimented her as she flew circles around Marinette.

Marinette however just stared in the mirror. "Tikki, how much can I heal people?"

Tikki shrugged. "Depends on how much power you have at any given time. You may be able to heal bruises out of the suit, but in it? I couldn't say for sure."

"Alright. I think this is something we need to keep under wraps, but there's somewhere we need to go." Marinette said as she locked the bathroom door and started the shower in case Adrien came back soon.

"Where are we going?"

"Chloe's. I want to check on her head wound." Marinette threw open the window. "Tikki, spots on!"

They went flying out the window and Marinette became Ladybug in time to throw her yo-yo and swing herself over the roofs with a whoop. She sailed through the sky and soon landed on Chloe's balcony. The doors were left slightly ajar and Chloe was laying in her bed reading a magazine.

"Chloe?" Ladybug said as she pushed one of the doors open further.

"Ladybug, what are you doing here?" Chloe asked as she set the magazine down and sat up further in bed. "Did you find the butterfly miraculous?"

"No, I actually came to check on you." Ladybug walked inside and sat on the edge of the bed so that she could better see Chloe. The girl had a large purple bruise that covered the left half of her face. "How are you feeling?"

"Kinda terrible. I mean, my face hurts, but the swelling went down. The doctor said he was surprised that it didn't cause more damage." Chloe shrugged as she pulled her bathrobe closer around her thin frame. "I'm mostly worried about my friend. I haven't talked to him since the whole thing went down. I saw his press conference, but I've seen him put on a brave face before."

"I'll see if I can swing by and check on him for you. This is going to sound kind of weird, but can I try something?" Ladybug was hesitant about this. She had tried it once on someone else before and it had taken a lot out of her, but she felt like this would work. 

Chloe's eyes turned wide and she nodded once. She looked like a deer in headlights as Ladybug reached out. Her fingers barely brushed Chloe's forehead and the bruising almost completely disappeared in a matter of seconds. "How's that feel?" She asked as she pressed her palm onto Chloe's temple and felt the rest of the swelling fade under her hand.

"Better," Chloe groaned. "Though I do have to say, I thought you were going to kiss me."

Ladybug smirked and leaned for to quickly press her lips against Chloe's temple. "Kiss it better?" Ladybug laughed as she began to stand up. "Rest up Chloe, you never know if we will need you again."

Chloe laid in her bed, slack jawed as she watched Ladybug walk out her bedroom doors and leap off her balcony. "Fuck I'm so gay for her," Chloe whispered as she picked back up the magazine and continued flipping aimlessly through the pages.

As Ladybug flew through the city, she felt free. That was until she began to pass Agreste Manor and she noticed there were police cars parked out front and people standing outside of the gates. She swung over them and landed next to an officer. "What's going on?" She asked as she grabbed his arm.

"Adrien Agreste called it in. Still investigating." The man grunted. Ladybug's chest fluttered as she bolted for the front doors. She hoped he hadn't tried to call for her while she was suited up. She followed the stream of officers and detectives and ended up in the atrium.

"What can I do?" She shouted. She didn't even realize how loud her voice boomed until all eyes were on her.

There was a group of men surrounding a hole in the floor. "Adrien is down here, we haven't found a safe way to get in and out yet." One of them informed her.

"Out of my way," She said as she stepped up and stared down the black hole.

"Careful Ladybug, we don't know what's down there."

"That's never stopped me before." Ladybug hooked her yo-yo to the pedestal and dove. She made it to the bottom and landed neatly on her feet.

"Ladybug!" She turned and found Adrien standing nearby, dragging an unconscious Nathalie. "Help me?"

She rushed over and took her weight off his shoulders. "How did you find her?"

"I checked the whole house and when I went to check my father's safe to see if there was anything missing, I fell through the floor." He explained as he rolled his shoulders.

Ladybug was shocked to see him here. He had fallen down a hole in his own home? Without any scrapes, breaks, or bruises? It had seemed almost unlikely, especially with how long of a drop it was, but she hesitated in her doubt. He had no reason to lie. Shifting Nathalie's weight, she glanced down the aisle. "What happened down here?" Her eyes caught sight of something shiny down at the lighted end.

"I found Nathalie lying on the floor. I think there's something you need to see down there, but we have to get her out of here first." Ladybug nodded and pulled her over to where she had left her yo-yo hanging as a way back up. She snaked the string around Nathalie's waist and yanked it. It pulled Nathalie up through the shaft and out of sight. Moments later, her yo-yo was dropped back down into her hands.

"They've got her. Now what was it that you wanted me to see?" Ladybug turned and found herself nose to nose with Adrien. She quickly stepped back and took in a sharp breath.

"Sorry," he stuttered and he staggered out of her way. He hadn't meant to get so close, but he was so used to being close to her whether he was Adrien or Chat that he hadn't even thought about it tonight.

"It's okay, um, down there?" Ladybug knew she was definitely blushing. She felt like time had turned backwards and suddenly she was thrown back to when she was 14 years old and could hardly contain her embarrassment around Adrien, whether she was in the suit or not. It was an odd feeling to feel so jumbled, like she was going to start stuttering and stammering any moment.

"Yeah," He nodded. She quickly began to walk down the aisle, not entirely sure what laid ahead of her, but knowing focusing on a problem would stop her from having to deal with her current situation. 

"Wait!" He called, but she was already at the end and suddenly she had tunnel vision. All she could see was the glass chamber that laid in front of her, the same one from her vision at the wedding. She reached out and touched the glass, the cool smooth surface under her fingers faded away before her eyes and her hand fell inside. She quickly retracted it and stepped back.

"What the hell." Ladybug took in the chamber, and recognized Emilie Agreste laying inside. Not suited up as Paon any longer, but wearing a white suit. She looked like she was sleeping with the way she was laid out. Her hair was smooth and her makeup was done, it was obvious that since her detransformation someone had come down and cared for her. Ladybug's guess was Hawk Moth before he had been caught.

"That what I was going to warn you. The glass is there, but it isn't always there. It's like at certain points, it just is an illusion." Adrien explained as he pressed his hand against the glass that was there once again. "I don't know if there's a pattern, but when the glass isn't there, it doesn't last very long."

Ladybug took her yo-yo off her hip and flipped it up to see if Chat Noir was online. "Crap, kitty. I wanted some advice," She muttered as she restrung it around her hips again. She wasn't sure what to do right now. Her boyfriend who didn't know he was dating her was here and she couldn't form a straight thought about the situation.

"Maybe I can give you some?"

Ladybug turned and half-smiled at him. Adrien was smart, but she doubted that he would have a good idea of what to do in this situation. She usually would be bouncing ideas off of her partner at this point, but she didn't see the harm in having him help. "Well, I mean, I guess. I just don't know what to do. I'm not sure if it would be safe to try and take her out, or if she would turn back into Paon or worse. I don't think she should be taken out, but we can't very well leave her down here in this state." 

"I think she should stay in there. Do you think you'd be able to get her out of here?" Adrien asked. She took in his worried expression as he stared at his mother. She wanted nothing more than to put his worries to ease. He looked like he had cried again based on the redness in his cheeks and nose and how his eyes were slightly swollen.

"I can try my hardest." Ladybug grabbed the bottom of the chamber and pulled, finding it to have wheels and move easily. She dragged it all the way to the hole that she had dropped through. "Here," She beckoned Adrien to walk inside behind her.

"What?" He said as he followed her directions.

"You're going first," She said as she grabbed his hips and pulled him forward. "Be ready for a landing."

"Ladybug!" Adrien shouted. She threw him at a slight angle and hoped he would go through and fall directly on the floor. If he hurt himself, she would heal him up with whatever power she had left after this. She was starting to fatigue from everything she had done already. She focused on the chamber and brought it into the chamber. She hooked her elbow through the edge and threw her yo-yo. It thankfully hooked onto something up there. She said a quick prayer and yanked. She went flying and felt her shoulder tear at the sudden weight that she was carrying. She had thrown a car once, but it was nothing compared to this. She flew through the opening and landed roughly, the chamber spinning across the sleek floor.

"Get the medics on that," Ladybug said rubbing at her shoulder, wishing it would heal quickly like her face had.

"Yes ma'am." A female officer saluted her and ran to the chamber.

"Keep this out of the press. I don't care how, but do it." Ladybug turned and found herself facing Adrien who was standing a respectful distance away this time.

"Thank you," He said, tears filling his eyes.

"You're welcome. You should check on Nathalie. Do you want me to tell your girlfriend what happened?"

"No, I'll talk to her when I get home, I don't want to wake her up."

"You're a good guy." Ladybug reached out and patted his shoulder.

"I try to be for her."

"Stay strong. If you ever need anything, feel free to wave me down." Ladybug said as she walked out the front doors with the first beep of her miraculous. She stopped at an ambulance where they were checking out Nathalie who was awake. "Are you okay?"

"I will be."

"Good. Talk to the police, I'm sure there's a lot of things they need to fill you in about."

It wasn't until Ladybug was swinging into her own bathroom that she realized what Adrien had said. He had said that he would talk to her when he got home. He saw her house as him home. She smiled to herself as she fell into her shower, turning back into Marinette right as a familiar figure crept through her window. "Hello milady," Chat smirked.

"Chaton, what are you doing here?" Marinette shouted as she yanked the shower curtain around her body so that she was covered properly.

"I saw my bugaboo creeping back into her window in such a fashion that I had to stop and see her." He stepped forward and put his claw under her chin. "Besides, I missed you."

"I missed you too. Things have been crazy ever since I last saw you. Are you okay?" She leaned into his touch as his fingers brushed her cheek.

He hummed in thought. "I'm more okay than some people. I think I was just shocked that he would pull a stunt like that. Especially now that the butterfly miraculous is missing."

Marinette stomach sank at the idea. "I keep forgetting. We should go look. Tikki?"

"No, not tonight. I've been thinking about this. Things aren't adding up. Why would he throw it away like that? He suddenly decides to show himself and yet he seemed unprepared." Chat was no longer looking at Marinette. His eyes were on her, but his gaze was far away with his thoughts.

"Tell that to my face," Marinette grunted under her breath. "What are you thinking?"

"I think he planned it. I think he knew someone in that crowd and that he gave them the miraculous."

"Who was there?"

"I dunno, but someone there took that miraculous home with them."

"Chat, that means someone out there is holding onto it and not bringing it forward on purpose. If that's the case, we need to be worried."

"Princess, I already have been."

Marinette sighed. "Come back soon, or maybe talk to Adrien? I know that this is hard on him, but maybe he saw something since he was watching the news? I don't want to sick Ladybug on him. Not after tonight. We found his mom locked in some glass tube thing in his basement and the assistant who helped raise him was down there too. I don't think my questioning him after that would be great for his psyche."

"I'll see what I can do. But for now, I just wanted to remind you that I love you." He leaned forward and kissed her. "After I talk to Adrien, I might stay low for a few days. The media is out for blood at this point, they almost ate me alive on my way over here."

She kissed his nose. "Alright minou, I love you too. I can't wait to see you again." She let one of her hands trace water onto his cheek. "If I need you, I'll leave you a voicemail."

"I'll check it every night for you."

"And if you need me, you know where to find me."

"Mm, if it's right here, I have no problem with that." He winked and she flung water at him. Both of them laughed and Marinette felt the tension that had been sitting in her shoulders for the last 24 hours melt out of her shoulders. 

"Goodnight kitty," She said as he climbed out her window.

"Goodnight my purrincess." And like that, he was gone.

By the time Adrien had walked inside, Marinette was laying in bed, half asleep. "Mari?" He said as he climbed into their bed.

"Hmm?"

"I found Nathalie and my mother," He said, even though he knew she would already know. She had been there. She was always there when he needed her.

"Are they okay?" She asked as she shot straight up in bed to face him.

"Nathalie is okay, she's being kept over night for observation, my mother however, they're not sure what's wrong with her." Adrien's face fell with his words. The EMTs had no clue what to do, so they had taken the chamber straight to the hospital. None of the nurses and doctors had told him anything. He had stopped by suited up in order to see Marinette as Chat Noir so that she wouldn't worry about him.

"Oh my god, Adrien I'm so sorry, I should have gone with you!"

He caught her as she dove for him. He landed flat on his back with the hips pinning his to the bed. "You were,"

"What?" He felt her body go ridged.

"You're always with me Marinette." She relaxed as he reached between them and touched her chest before touching his own. "Right here."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Friday folks, I had a crazy and honestly terrible week. I'm hoping it gets better now that this weekend is here, but I have Sunday off and then work for 6 days straight, so I guess we'll see. I hope you all are doing well! I promise that I'll get at least one more chapter out this weekend, but that might be all I can manage for the next few days. I'm so proud that you guys pick up on the little things that have happened in this story! Just remember, everything that happens, is for a reason ;)


	25. New Changes Aren't A Bad Thing Milday

Marinette woke up slowly that morning. She dragged the blanket closer to her body and scooted closer to where Adrien had been the night before. His warmth radiated and he slowly put his arm around her. "I understand. I'll be in later today." Her eyes fluttered open as she blinked up at him. His hair was a mess and he had his phone between his shoulder and his ear as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Yeah, of course. I promise. Alright. Yup. Uh huh." He continued to reassure whoever it was on the other end of the phone. "I've got to go. I'll see you there." He pulled it away and hit end before throwing his phone down onto the chaise below.

"Morning?" Marinette croaked out, her throat felt scratchy this morning.

"Hey dear." He kissed her forehead. "I didn't wake you, did I?"

She shook her head as she buried her face into his shoulder. They laid there comfortably in a silence until Adrien's phone began buzzing again below them. "You should get that."

He groaned before he got up, grabbed the side of her bed, and swung down. She stared at where he had been a moment before in shock. She had done that before, but only because she was strong from swinging around the city. She wondered how many chin ups he could do if he was able to drop down so easily. "Hello,"

Marinette glanced over the edge and debated on taking the same way down. "Have they found her yet?"

That piqued her interests. Adrien sighed and hung up.

"Who was that?"

"Which time of the hundred of calls I've had today?" Adrien groaned as he flopped backwards so that he was sprawled across the chaise and his shirt rode up to reveal his toned abdomen.

Marinette forced herself to focus on his face instead. "How about the two I was awake for?"

"My dad's company and the hospital. The company wants me to come in and start talking about what the plan is. I told them that we'd be there sometime today, but the hospital wanted to let me know that a nurse went in to check on Nathalie this morning and she's gone."

"Gone?" Marinette clambered off of her bed. "What do you mean, gone?"

"She vanished some time in the night. Her clothes were gone too. She checked herself out it seems. She left no indication of where she's going. I'm going back to the house to see if she showed up there or something." Adrien sat up quickly and walked over to his suitcase, pulling out warm clothes for the day. He knew that he'd be running around outside all day and didn't think that now was going to be the right time to catch a cold.

"Hey," Marinette reached out and touched Adrien's shoulder, stopping him from changing there and then so that he could start the day. "I can go with you, okay? You don't have to do this alone."

"I'm never alone, you're always with me, I told you that last night." He tipped her chin and gently kissed her. "Besides, I'm going to need the love of my life to get me through some very boring meetings that are about a fashion company."

"Love of your life getting you through a meeting or interpreting it for you?" Marinette teased. She went to her closet and reached to pull out the outfit that Gabriel and Nathalie had given her for Christmas. She had said it she would wear it for the first day at the company, didn't this count? She stopped and thought for a moment. She wanted to make her own impression today.

Marinette snatched the box that she had put some of her handmade clothing into out of the top of her closet. She pulled out the dress that she wanted and quickly pulled it over her head. It was a long sleeve black dress. The edges had a red lace overlay and it had a matching black and red spotted headband. She had designed it originally for if she was going to go out in the public eye as Ladybug. There was a black and red mask tucked away in the box as well, but she figured this was not the right time to let Adrien find out who she was half of the time. She tugged on her black knee high boots and walked out to fix her hair and makeup so that she looked professional.

Adrien was standing in front of her, wearing a red button up and black dress pants. "Seems we match," he chuckled. He had debated on wearing the green shirt today, but he decided that may be too Chat Noir like. But seeing Marinette in her true Ladybug colors made his heart skip a beat. He definitely liked it on her.

"Seems we do," She smirked, wondering how hard it would be to convince him to change into his green shirt so that they would look like the dynamic duo. She quickened her pace into the bathroom so that he wouldn't see the blush appearing on her cheeks at that thought. Tikki surprised her by popping up inside the bathroom.

"Tikki! What if Adrien saw you?"

"Don't worry, he's busy on his phone. Besides, I wanted to help!" The kwami lifted a makeup brush and Marinette laughed. Last time Tikki had helped, it had been the best makeup she had ever worn. She'd let the kwami help anytime she wanted to.

A few minutes later, she walked out of the bathroom. Her hair was pulled back into her signature pigtails and her makeup was fantastic. Tikki was hidden away in a pocket that she had sewn inside the dress just for Tikki. "Wow, I'm going to start letting you do my makeup for shoots Marinette." Adrien complimented her. 

"I'm not that good." She giggled as she grabbed her phone and purse off her desk. The couple walked downstairs and found the apartment empty. "They both must be in the bakery today." Marinette frowned before descending the stairwell and walking into the busy bakery. People were pressed wall to wall. The volume of the bakery was so loud that she almost felt the need to cover her ears.

"Everything okay, Maman?" Marinette rushed over to her parents. 

"Of course Marinette, we are just having a bigger rush than usual. I do believe that's because of you two though." Sabine smirked at the two teens. "Be home in time for dinner and be safe out there, lots of people are out and about today." Sabine touched Marinette's cheek.

"We will be, good luck in here." Marinette and Adrien walked out through the side door. Once they were out in the cold air, she let him lead her across the street and towards the Agreste manor.

There was an officer parked out front when they arrived. "Hey kids, there's still an investigation going on, you can't be here right now." He said as he got out of his patrol vehicle.

"Sorry sir, we came here looking for Nathalie. She hasn't come by, has she?" Adrien said as he stood to his full height. Marinette noticed how he was standing straighter, his head lifted up so that he was almost the same height as the officer. His legs were apart, his stance read the same as when Ladybug was ready for an attack. She ran her thumb across his knuckles in an effort to maybe get him to calm down.

"Kid, unless she's got a secret passageway inside this place, no one has been in or out all day." Marinette noticed the way the officer held the gun on his belt and tilted his head. He wasn't being threatening, but he was definitely not going to put up with them for much longer.

"C'mon Adrien." Marinette whispered, yanking his hand so that he'd follow her lead.

She waited a moment before he backed away and they began to walk away from the house. "I don't get what his attitude was about." Adrien muttered. "I just want to make sure she's alright."

Marinette held her tongue. She wanted to tell him that maybe he shouldn't have squared up with the officer then, but she knew that wasn't fair. Adrien was hurting right now. Sure he found his mother, but there was nothing he could do for her. His father was Hawk Moth, Nathalie had seemingly abandoned him by leaving the hospital without a word. Adrien was alone except for Marinette, her family, and their friends. "He was just doing his job. At least we know that Nathalie didn't come here. She couldn't have gone far." Marinette tried to reassure him.

"Only problem is, she could. I took her briefcase to her last night. She leaves everything she needs in there. Passport, birth certificate, driver's license. My guess is, even their marriage license was in there. She could disappear and never show her face again. I wouldn't be surprised if she did. It's not like she has any reason to stick around now." Adrien blinked away the tears. He hadn't really felt great about Nathalie and his father getting married, but truth was, if anyone had to replace his mom, she was the best he could ask for. Even if she hadn't always shown it, she always cared about him and made sure that he got what he needed. She was the reason he had ended up at public schools.

"Adrien. She cared about you. Do you really think she would leave Paris without at least coming and seeing you first?"

"I'm Hawk Moth's son, honestly I'm surprised anyone stuck around." He looked dejected and focused on his feet as he walked.

Marinette stopped in her tracks. "Fuck that." She said it softly as he turned to look at her.

"What?" He asked, surprised. Marinette swore, he knew that Marinette swore, but she rarely swore at him.

"Fuck that. Don't you dare think like that. You are Adrien Agreste. Who cares if Hawk Moth happens to be your father. But that is not your legacy. You're Adrien fucking Agreste. You're kind, loyal, daring, smart as all get out, a model even! You care about everyone, and even though he did terrible things to everyone, he's still your father and deep down you still care about him. Don't put yourself down just because he made bad choices. Those don't define you." Marinette placed her hand over his chest.

"This right here, that's what defines you!"

"My heart?" He asked, too stunned to say anything else.

"Exactly, that's the part about you that I love most. Not your face, not your body, not your mind, your heart. I love you Adrien Agreste, because of your heart." Marinette got up on her tip toes and kissed his nose before dropping back down to be flat on her feet.

"You're amazing, Marinette." He felt like she had stole the breath from his lungs with her words and turned his mind to mush.

"You're pretty amazing too. Where to next?"

Adrien hesitated at her question. "Would you like to meet my mom? I'd kinda like to go see her," 

"Of course," Marinette looped her arm through his as they walked to the hospital. The cold wind had turned her cheeks bright red by the time they arrived. Adrien's face suffered the same wind burned fate. They reached the front desk and the nurse sitting behind the computer lazily glanced up.

"Ah, Monsieur Agreste. Right this way," The nurse at the desk stood up with a coffee mug in hand and led them down a hall. "I'm glad you made it before the end of my shift. I found a note in Nathalie's room. I assume that you would like to see your mother though?"

"Yes, that's why we're here. What did the note say?" Adrien said as he kept pace next to the nurse. Marinette drifted a little ways behind them. She had been to hospitals before. She probably should have been put in the hospital before. Yet they still made her uneasy. While she knew Chat Noir regularly came by to the children's wing of this particular hospital, she herself had only visited a few times.

"Well, here." The woman pulled a piece of folded paper from her pocket and handed it to Adrien. "It doesn't say much except just to expect something to come to the bakery in the mail soon and that she will she you after awhile. I do not understand what it means, but it was addressed to you."

Adrien nodded and tucked the note into his pocket. She was right, the note didn't say much at all. He wasn't sure what he had expected. "How is my mother?"

"No change, I'm afraid. They have found a steady pulse, but it seems that she won't wake. The doctor wanted to speak to you about attempting to remove her from the glass, but I told them they needed to study it longer before they did something so dramatic. One of them had their pen severed in half when the glass reformed last night. He went home early after that." Marinette felt herself pale at the nurse's words. If it would do that to a pen, what would it do to a person if they were trying to put their limbs through?

The nurse pulled open a door and ushered them inside. Marinette stood near the door, unable to move suddenly as she saw the soft yellow glow emitting in front of them. Emilie Agreste still laid in there, dressed in her white suit. She looked just as peaceful as when Ladybug had pulled her out of the basement the day before. "Hey Mom," Adrien said as he walked over and touched the top of the glass. "I brought Marinette by so that you could meet her."

Marinette hesitated before stepping forward until she stood next to Adrien. "Hi," She spoke softly.

"The doctors said she may be able to hear us. They think she's in some sort of coma right now. So I figured that talking to her normally would be a good idea." Adrien smiled down at the woman and Marinette followed his lead.

"You raised a pretty amazing son. I think you'd be very proud of him right now." Marinette said reaching out to touch the glass. Their hands fell through and Marinette and Adrien both brushed their hands along Emilie's hand. Adrien let his hand linger while Marinette flinched back, remembering how willing she would have used those hands to take her and Chat Noir out when she was Paon.

Adrien finally pulled his hand back and leaned close to where her ear was. He whispered something before straightening. "Thanks for coming Marinette."

"Of course," she smiled up at him and touched his cheek gently.

"I'm ready to go if you are." Marinette's eyes widened.

"You don't want to stay longer?" She asked.

Adrien shook his head. "Stopping by I think is all the time I need right now. If I stay here any longer without her saying something back, I think it'll make me too sad."

Marinette just nodded. She didn't have anything good to say, no reassurances. She glanced back at Emilie Agreste and hesitated. She wanted to ask Tikki if there was anything they could do for her, but she wondered if she already knew the answer. "Alright, whenever you're ready."

Adrien took her hand and guided her from the room. He had caught the look she had given at the end. He wasn't about to ask her what she was thinking though. He just hoped she wasn't planning to do anything without knowing more first. They left the hospital and walked across the street. He caught sight of a photographer that was shamelessly taking their pictures, so he pulled her inside of the coffee shop that they were in front of. "Let's grab something warm before heading to the office."

"That sounds so weird." Adrien furrowed his brow as they got in line.

"What sounds so weird?"

"We're heading to the office. Like, we're still in high school. Why are we saying stuff like that? We should be heading to the movie theater or something," Marinette giggled. Adrien couldn't help but to laugh and pull her into his side.

"You're quite right, love. Is there anything out to go see right now? Maybe we should go after we act like adults." Adrien leaned down and pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

Marinette tapped her finger against her chin. "I don't think so, maybe we show up and choose one?"

"Sounds perfect." 

They ordered their coffees to go and once they got them, Adrien put a large tip into their tip jar so that the barista would let them go out the back door. Marinette felt relieved as they slipped into a back alley and walked along the dark brick walls. It probably wasn't normal for a girl her age to be more relaxed in dark alleyways than in the middle of the street, but she did anyways. It was something that she realized Adrien was comfortable with as well. She supposed it was probably because of the fact that he was a celebrity and liked to get out of the spotlight every once in awhile as well.

They ended up out on the street, and the second they could see Gabriel, they got flocked. "Marinette, Adrien, is it true that Nathalie Sancoeur has vanished without a trace just after her boss's arrest?" "Are you going to be taking over the design's department Marinette?" "What's going to happen to your father's company?" "How do you feel about the stock drop in your father's company Adrien?"

"I'm sorry, we're very busy. The board is awaiting us to go and speak to them now. Please, excuse us." Adrien brushed away their questions with a practiced perfection. Marinette followed his lead today instead of taking charge of the media. She had already messed it up yesterday, she wasn't about to give them anymore ammo.

"Marinette! Do you think Ladybug and Chat Noir have given up looking for the miraculous and retired?" She froze in her steps and Adrien felt his hand almost be crushed beneath her grip. 

Marinette turned around slowly and glanced at the man that had shouted at her. "I doubt that they would ever abandon us when we need them most. I'm sure they're just laying low and figuring out a plan so that they can fix everything." Marinette smiled, "But shouldn't you be asking that question to Ladybug and Chat Noir?"

She whipped around and followed Adrien through the large glass doors, she was entirely unaware of the fact that he was beaming with pride at her words. "Ah, Monsieur Agreste and Mlle Dupain-Cheng, welcome. The board is gathered upstairs, may I take your coats?" A young woman greeted them as she scurried out from behind the front desk. 

"Ellie, I've told you, please call me Adrien, and this is Marinette." Adrien said as he shrugged off his jacket and assisted Marinette with hers. He handed them over and Ellie just grinned.

"I know, but your father always chastised me if I didn't use your title." She shrugged. Adrien's shoulders stiffened.

"Well not to worry about that anymore," he said through his teeth.

Ellie frowned, "I'm so sorry Adrien, that was quite rude of me."

"No, it's alright." He reassured her as he reached out and patted her shoulder. "Don't worry, everything will be better soon."

Marinette followed Adrien through the elevator doors and they took it up to the top floor. "What are we talking to the board about?"

"Where the company is going. Nathalie is gone, my father is in prison and won't be released any time soon, there's only one option right now." Adrien leaned against the wall and shut his eyes.

"Wait, Adrien, they aren't asking you to take over the company, are they?" Marinette asked as she leaned against the wall and gazed at him.

His eyes cracked open and he peeked over at her. "That's exactly what they're doing. There was no asking."

"Adrien, you haven't had any time to think about what happened though."

"Mari."

"I'm serious Adrien, how can they expect that of you when you're only 18?"

"I'm an adult. Unfortunately, there's no one else in place to take over. I can't take over the position of lead designer, but I can take over CEO. My father taught me everything I needed to know for this." Marinette choked back tears. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. They hadn't even finished high school yet and he was being forced into this already? She wanted to give someone a piece of her mind, but she couldn't. Nathalie didn't deserve it, Gabriel was in jail and she wouldn't go see him unless it was in court, and the board was just doing what they needed to do.

The doors slid open with a ding and they walked out into a room of windows. There was several men and women gathered around a table, arguing loudly. There was screens along the room depicting different things. Some were related to fashion designs, some showing their current stock levels, and several were of the news that showed the Hawk Moth investigation. "Adrien?" One woman noticed them before the rest and the room flooded with silence.

"Hello, Camille." Adrien smiled. "Everyone, this is my girlfriend Marinette Dupain-Cheng."

Camille, who had been the first one to recognize them upon their arrival, rushed over and kissed both of their cheeks. "Welcome, welcome. Come sit down, we have much to discuss."

The board all introduced themselves. There were three men and three women, Camille, Marie, Clara, Arthur, Victor, and Raphael. Camille was the COO, Raphael was the CFO, Nathalie had been the secretary, but in her absence Marie had stepped up for the position. Arthur was the secondary lead designer, Clara was the head of their media and one of the faces of the company, while Victor was their legal adviser. Marinette wondered if she needed to ask for name tags or a descriptive list that way she could keep everyone and their jobs straight.

"Adrien, the first thing we have to go over is how to handle this arrest in the media. Do we defend Gabriel or do we side with the police?" Clara asked as she twirled her brown curly hair around her finger.

"We will not defend his actions." Adrien answered as he squeezed Marinette's hand. "He made his decisions and there is no defending him."

Clara wrote down his every word quickly. "But won't it look bad if his own son and company turn against him?"

"Not if we instead side with Paris." Marinette hadn't meant to open her mouth. She had planned to sit there quietly until they could leave. She had no business to be there besides to try and support Adrien to the best of her abilities.

"What?" Victor was the first to respond.

"Oh, uh, I said not if we side with Paris? Become unsympathetic to the actions of him? Support the victims, offer them a way to cope?" Marinette hesitated and stumbled in her response. Camille grinned and reached over to pat her hand.

"I like the way you think. Side with the victims and support them. Arthur, how long until we can release the Ladybug and Chat Noir line?" She asked as she turned to the older man with pale blonde hair.

"Uh, it's already in production. We were waiting on Gabriel's approval to release. I believe he was waiting on Marinette and Adrien to be prepared to model them in a show." Arthur said as he tapped his fingers together.

Camille's grin widened. "Perfect. Let's release it with our press release. Arthur, arrange production to finish, and make sure to suit these two up for the release. Clara, set up a time and place for us to talk to the media and show off the new line. Victor, make sure that there won't be any legal problems with making Adrien CEO. Raphael, check the budget and see if we can throw our own show. It's the beginning of the year so don't tell me the budget is already screwed. Any questions?" Marie was typing down everything the Camille had sprouted off and that was the only sound in the room.

"CEO?" Adrien asked, finally. Marinette's head was still reeling at the fact that she was being 'suited up' for a press release where she was going to have to model the new line. She had almost forgotten that with all the chaos that had suddenly encompassed her life.

"I did say you'd be stepping up to fill your father's shoes? Victor, explain the legal jumble you helped Nathalie and Gabriel draft." Camille snapped her fingers at Victor who opened up his briefcase and pulled out a tablet.

"Well it clearly stated that if Gabriel or Nathalie were ever put in a position, such as one like this where neither were here to run the company, the position of acting CEO would be turned over to you if you were of age. You are 18 Monsieur. You are of age, thus the company is yours unless you sell your portion of the stock." Victor shrugged and locked the tablet again.

Marinette's eyes were wide when Adrien looked down at her. She was staring off into space, and he was almost positive that he could hear her heart beating a million miles a minute even though he usually could only do that as Chat Noir. "Mari,"

She quickly turned and looked at him, still having a deer in headlights look as she stared into his eyes. "Yeah?"

"We can do this."

His words surprised her enough that it shook her out of her shock. "We?"

"I can only do this with you."

"I'll always be here for you."

"That settles it then," Camille announced.

"Alright, Jardin des Tuileries is the next available park. I've booked the whole place and alerted the media that we have a press release there this evening." Clara looked up from her phone and grinned. Marinette felt the blood drain out of her face.

"Maman is going to kill me," she muttered.

"Why?"

"We're going to miss dinner, it seems." Adrien snorted and Marinette found herself smiling.

"Clara, could you make sure word and tickets to the event get to Marinette's parents?" Camille smirked.

Clara rolled her eyes. "Duh. Anyone else?"

"Alya Cesaire and Nino Lahiffe. They're our own private press release people." Adrien smirked and Marinette could have jumped for joy. Alya was going to be there for a big scoop of her life yet again. Their best friends deserved to be there through everything since they had already gone through some of the worst and best things with them.

"Alright!" Camille clapped her hands together. "Let's get to it people, we don't have much time and we need to kick this company's ass back into shape."

Everyone began to stand up. "Wait, I think there's something else we need to do." Adrien announced, causing everyone to stop in their tracks as they raced to the door.

"What's that?" Marie asked quietly as she got ready to type it into her notes.

Adrien glanced at Marinette. He had thought about it a lot since he had gotten the first call from Camille saying that they had to meet today. "We need to change the companies name and logo."

"What?" That came out of almost everyone's mouths, shocked that Adrien would say something so daring.

"The butterfly has to go, Gabriel has to go. If I'm taking over, this is going to be a fresh start entirely. We don't want any negative media connotations, do we Clara?" The brunette hesitated before nodding.

"He's right, we'd have that taking us down still."

"Did you have any suggestions, Adrien?" Camille looked like she knew that he did, but was asking because she wanted to know.

"DCA Fashion. And we have the woman that designed the last 3 album covers for Jagged Stone in this room, so I believe she could make a great logo for us." Adrien said draping his arm around her shoulders. "Only if you're up for it, Marinette."

"Oh, uh, I can, um, try my best?" She offered.

"Why DCA?" Camille's gold eyes glanced between the teens casually.

"Dupain-Cheng-Agreste Fashion." Marinette thought she was going to self combust.

"You can't name a company after me." Marinette gaped at her boyfriend.

"Well, I can since they're making me CEO. Besides, why shouldn't I name it after the best designer this world will ever see?" Adrien tapped his finger on her nose and she debated on if she was going to self combust or just faint.

"It's settled. DCA Fashion, Marinette I'll need that new logo by the press release. You two have 4 hours before meeting us at the park to get set up. Adrien get a good speech prepared. We'll see you then. Allons y!" Camille announced and the room emptied.

"Did you just get a company named after me, put me in charge of creating said company's logo in under 4 hours, and manage to get me put into a fashion show for a clothing line inspired by Ladybug and Chat Noir? All in less than an hour?" Marinette asked, almost glaring up at her blonde and now very red faced boyfriend.

"Yes dear?" Adrien said as he scratched the back of his neck.

"Maman is going to murder you now for getting me stressed. Let's go, I have a freaking logo to design." Marinette took his hand and yanked him down the stairs since the elevator took too long for her patience. 

"There goes us choosing a movie to go see too," Adrien rolled his eyes. He knew Sabine might be shocked, but he knew she definitely wouldn't be angry enough to kill him. Maybe she would about them missing dinner though.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, yes, I did that. I hope you liked it. I'm going to see if I have enough creative juices to put out another chapter this evening, but I guess we'll find out. I hope you enjoyed it! Love, Emily  
> 


	26. All Together, We're Unperfectly Us

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning, if you don't like smut, don't read below the *************  
> That is all :)

Adrien soon learned why you didn't give Marinette a short deadline. The second they got back, she was scribbling in her sketch book. She started off sitting at her desk, then she was laying on her chaise, but currently she was hanging over the railing of her bed and sketching upside down. Adrien had moved the chaise underneath her at that point. "I got it!" She shouted 30 minutes from their deadline. Adrien caught her as she dropped straight off the railing and into his arms.

"Let's see," He grinned as she shoved the notebook into his face. He gently pushed it away so that he could actually see it. It was simple and elegant, yet very familiar. The background was black and the lettering of the DCA were bright green while Fashion was written neatly beneath in red. "It's perfect."

"I figured with the Ladybug and Chat Noir being the first release under the new name, maybe they should also be in the logo." Marinette blushed as Adrien kissed her face several times.

"Perfection, amazing, I love it."

"You don't mind that I used their colors?"

"Of course not, I'd call the business Miraculous or something in their honor if there wasn't such a stigma against miraculouses right now." Adrien brushed Marinette's bangs out of her face. "But for now, we should probably get a move on that way we're at the park on time."

"Crap, you're right!" Marinette tucked the sketchbook into her bag and grabbed her coat before running down the stairs. Adrien stood at the top for a moment before laughing. She ran right back up and grabbed her shoes and his hand before dragging him back down the stairs. "Bye Maman! Bye Papa!"

Adrien skidded to a stop and hugged both of them. "We'll see you there, right?"

"Of course. You got a letter in the mail today." Sabine said tucking a large yellow envelope into Marinette's bag. "Open it when you get a chance."

"Will do!" He had barely gotten his shoes onto his feet and his arms in his coat sleeves before Marinette was dragging him back out the door. "Did you grab what you need?"

"Of course!" Adrien rolled his eyes at his girlfriend's confidence. He had learned she usually forgot something. As they ran across town, it was sure to come to her and they would probably have to sprint back home. They were lucky that they lived so close to the school.

However, to Adrien's surprise, they made it to the park early and Marinette hadn't forgotten a thing. She handed Clara the sketchbook to get the design digitized for the unveiling. Arthur ushered the couple into his tent and pushed them behind two separate curtains. Marinette fell into the open arms of Kate. "Glad we could see each other again, Mari. Let's get you ready."

Marinette sighed with relief that Kate was with her, otherwise she would have never been able to get through it. The tight black leggings with red polka dots that ran up each side in a straight line, the red leather jacket with Ladybug stitched on the back with black thread and the red and black polka dot shirt underneath were fashionable, but not quite Ladybug enough to make Marinette worry that anyone would recognize her. Kate helped her into the knee high red boots that had to be laced up all the way to the top and then began to work on her hair and makeup. She curled her hair and used Marinette's original headband to pull the design together. She left the rest of her makeup alone besides a few touch up before painting her lips a bright red and adding three red gems along her winged eyeliner on either side of her face.

"There, a true Ladybug fan." Kate clapped her hands together and helped Marinette up onto her feet. "Come along, I know Clara and Arthur wanted to see you before the show."

Marinette kept up just fine, but it was difficult in the boots since they had a heel. She found Clara nearby the tent, grinning as she chatted animatedly with Arthur. They both stopped when they saw her. "Adrien wasn't kidding when he said the best designer Paris had ever seen."

"Actually, he said the best designer the world would ever see Arthur. But he was not exaggerating at all! These designs are amazing!" Marinette felt her cheeks burn as she realized that they had her sketchbook open to one of the pages she had been working on a few months ago of a high low dress that Alya had been thinking about wearing for their graduation ceremony.

"Oh," She couldn't think of a better response. "Those are mine."

"And they are beautiful! Your logo? Fantastic, but these are even better! I can see why you won the internship, these were going to be the best we've ever seen!" Arthur exclaimed.

"Were?"

"Well, we aren't sure the direction the company is taking now, so IFA has forbade it's students from taking internships until it's more secure." Clara frowned and dragged the toe of her shoe against the ground.

"I wasn't told that." Marinette frowned.

"Of course not, you had already accepted, so the school is probably going to try to convince you to quit. But we don't even know what an intern like you would do, they never really got to design much before." Arthur shrugged. "I guess we will have to wait and see what Adrien has decided. Speak of the devil, aren't you two the most fashionable pair in town? Ladybug and Chat Noir will surely be proud to have you wear their colors tonight for the reveal!"

Marinette turned around and caught sight of Adrien in an outfit similar to her own, but with a few adjustments. He wore green skinny jeans and black combat boots that she was positive would have cat paws on the bottom. His black leather jacket had Chat Noir lettered on the back with green thread that matched his jeans. The green shirt underneath matched the pants. He smiled at her and she wondered if she could die from seeing him wearing black lipstick. She walked over and reached out to move his hair so that it was as messy as Chat usually had it. "You would make Chat proud." She smiled up at him and his breath caught in his throat at her compliment.

"Well dear, I think Ladybug would want to wear your look." The noise that followed sounded almost like a cat purring and Marinette spluttered out a laugh.

"Oh god Adrien, don't get too into the role or else I won't be able to tell the two of you apart."

"Marinette, do you know Chat Noir?" Kate asked, having over heard the comment.

Marinette bit her lip. "Uh, kinda? He likes to stop by and get baked goods at the bakery. We leave them on the bakery for if Ladybug or Chat Noir ever want a snack when they're out and about. Sometimes they like company too."

The lie was smooth as honey, Adrien had to give her that. He hadn't ever heard her lie as quick and as smart as she had right there. He wondered how many times she had covered her identity and it had come out in a jumble before she started getting good at it. "So Clara, how does the design look?"

Clara straightened up and flipped around her tablet, showing off the new background as being Marinette's sketch in a more clean digital version. "It gorgeous! I can't wait for the world to see it! I already did a company wide update and have the new site ready to go live as soon as the announcement airs. It's going to be luxurious!"

Marinette felt pride brim in her chest. She had done that. The whole world was going to see her work again, thanks to Adrien. "Stunning, but still not as show stopping as you, Ladybug." Adrien prodded Marinette's ribs gently with his elbow. She almost froze up until she realized what he was talking about.

"I dunno, Chat Noir, I think the real show here might be you." She teased back. When she glanced back up at his face, she noticed he was slack jawed and he quickly shook his head like he was attempting to regain his thoughts.

"Come along, we have 5 minutes until show time!" Camille appeared with a black dress and a black and red spotted mask on. "We mustn't take too long!"

She dragged the couple over to the stage and they stared out at the group of people gathered in front of them. There was so many reporters. Marinette waved to her parents and Alya and Nino who were standing in the front row. "Ready to shine?"

"Not really, but I guess we'll see how I do, huh? I only did get a couple one on one lessons with Adrien Agreste, maybe that was enough to get me suited for this." She winked at him.

"I see, and where is this Adrien Agreste?" Hearing Adrien refer to himself in third person was enough to make her giggle, but she was letting the jokes calm her nerves.

"I dunno, seems he disappeared when I showed up, probably to help me uphold my seeing you without him around." Adrien winked and suddenly Marinette lost her comprehension skills. She wanted to straighten out his hair and call him Adrien to reassure herself. She grabbed her shoulders and closed her eyes as she touched her forehead to his chest. 

"Mari?"

"Sorry, you just reminded me of him quite a lot. I guess I just missed him." She whispered. Adrien's heart thumped hard in his chest. He had tried to dial up his inner Chat Noir without making things too obvious, but he had slipped up.

"I'm sorry, I hope he comes and sees you soon." Adrien squeezed her before letting her go when Camille signaled to them. "Looks like we're up."

The crowd cheered as they turned on their lapel mics and walked up to the center of the stage, waving to the crowd as they went. Adrien used his signature model smile that he had perfected over the years, while Marinette forced herself to smile even though her emotions were in sudden turmoil. She had wondered a few times if Adrien was Chat Noir, but the two were too different. And how could the world be so cruel to make Adrien be Chat Noir and his own father be Hawk Moth? No, she convinced herself that he had just spent too much time around Chat or something.

"Thank you all for coming!" Adrien's voice rang through the speakers and sent a shiver down Marinette's spine. Their voices were similar, but usually Chat's had a certain tone to it that Adrien's lacked.

"It's great to have you all here tonight!" Marinette said as she wrapped her arm around Adrien's waist. He laid his arm around her shoulders and they scanned the crowd momentarily, taking in the thousands of people gathered in the garden. The sun was setting on the horizon, giving the entire place a soft pink glow.

"As you all know, we brought you here tonight because Gabriel, the company," Adrien emphasized with a chuckle. "Has some news to share you. Tonight, we gather together for 3 major reasons." The crowd clapped politely and waited for him to continue.

"The first thing is that we would like Paris to know that we stand with you, and no longer will we be called Gabriel, but DCA Fashions. Our own brilliant designer Marinette Dupain-Cheng has created our new logo," he waved to the screen behind them that lit up with her design. The crowd whooped and hollered causing Marinette's fake smile to grow into a real one.

"Hold on everyone, we're not done quite yet," Marinette laughed at their enthusiasm.

"She's right. DCA Fashions will be standing with Paris, but so will I. I, Adrien Agreste, have decided to step up and fill the shoes that Paris should expect from DCA. I will be taking the place of CEO and will begin acting once I graduate. I promise not to let you down!" Marinette grinned and beamed as she heard the crowd begin to chant either Adrien or DCA. There was so many people that the crowd seemed to be shouting both.

"Last but not least!" Marinette shouted into her mic so that everyone could hear them.

"We are officially releasing the first DCA Fashion line, and we bring to you Ladybug and Chat Noir! The dynamic duo that all of Paris has to thank for us being where we are today. Originally, our line was going to be based on the two heroes who we've all come to love in the last several years. Marinette and I are wearing the main designs here tonight, but I have a question for you Paris!" Marinette furrowed her brow at Adrien. She hadn't even asked him about his speech, but he had seen her design. She felt her heart rate pick up as he turned and looked at her.

"How would you like it if Mlle Dupain-Cheng made sure all of Team Miraculous was featured in the line?" Adrien swept into a bow and kissed Marinette's hand causing her to turn bright pink, especially when she realized his lips touched the ring that Chat had gifted her not too long ago.

The roar of the crowd was lost on her as Adrien said, "Well how about it my love?"

"Yes, I can do that." No stutters, no anxiety, no fear. Just her and Adrien in the moment. She would help him finish designing items for the rest of the team. She had her foot in the fashion world. It didn't matter if IFA didn't want her for staying at DCA. This is where she belonged, at Adrien's side, helping him building the company to its true potential and making her teammates shine for the whole world to wear. Nothing could wipe the smile off her face.

"Then maybe we should make our way down the catwalk?" Adrien jumped up and began walking down the catwalk in front of him in true model fashion.

"You're on!" Marinette shouted as he turned at the end and blew her a kiss. She began to strut down, people hollering as she went. Marinette reached Adrien and he swept her into his arms. She was leaning towards the ground, but she trusted that he had her.

"Good job, but I think only Chat Noir can own a catwalk like me." Adrien winked and Marinette bit her lip.

"I dunno, Ladybug can throw Chat Noir halfway across Paris. I think I can channel her and own the catwalk tonight, Adrien Agreste."

"Maybe so Marinette Dupain-Cheng." The crowd was deafening as they sealed their lips together as he dipped her in front of the crowd. Marinette had almost forgotten about them when she had locked her eyes on him. That was the kind of confidence that he gave her. The rest of the night was spent doing seperate interviews and networking with new companies to team up with. So many people asked her if this was her debut as a designer or if she was the new lead designer for DCA Fashion. She laughed off most of the questions and was vague. She didn't know where she stood in the company, but she was certain that she stood next to Adrien no matter what.

She had collapsed into Alya's arms at one point and promised that Alya could definitely help her out with the designs. She had spent a few moments using her friend as a support beam before Adrien had swept her up into his arms like she was a princess. "Ready to head home?"

"Please? These heels are killing me."

"I think Chloe would be offended to hear you say that."

"Well she can hate it, but it doesn't change the fact that these are torture devices." Marinette leaned her head against Adrien's chest and trusted him to get them home safely. 

"You know, you have a scooter and I could probably call a taxi honestly. Why do we walk everywhere?"

"Because while I have a scooter, I have no interest in using it when I can walk everywhere I need to go."

"Mari, we're almost 5 miles away from your home. This is ridiculous."

"I can walk you know," She offered and leaned up so that she could hop down.

"Nope, even if you get too heavy like this, I would sooner carry you over my shoulder than let you walk home while wearing torture devices. Especially since Camille requested that we wear these outfits to school tomorrow to promote them among the youth."

Marinette groaned. "We can't very well tell her no, can we Monsieur CEO?" 

"No we can't Mlle Lead Designer."

Marinette blinked. She waited a beat for him to boop her or say that he was kidding. "What?"

"I was talking to Arthur, he's actually the one who suggested it after seeing the rest of your designs in your sketchbook. I'm pretty sure his exact words were that DCA needs a young beautiful girl with fresh ideas to breathe life into the company. And yes, I did grab your bag and your sketchbook." He said showing her the strap of it that she hadn't even realized was swung over his shoulder.

"What would I do without you?"

"Probably forget everything and have to run around a lot more than you do now."

"You're right. I can't thank you enough for making me lead designer Adrien. I don't have the experience worthy of it. I haven't even finished college yet." She slouched down a little with her own words.

"Nonsense. What you say you lack in experience, you make up in talent. Marinette, you are more talented and creative than half of the designers. But you also have credibility. You just made our logo in 3 hours if we account for the time spent when you were working on it. A logo that it now seen on an international level. You have won so many contests and have so many people vying for your ideas already. I've said it before and I'll say it again, you're amazing." He adjusted his grip on her and they walked in quiet the rest of the way home. Once inside and upstairs, Adrien finally realized that Marinette had fallen asleep.

"You two did wonderful tonight. We are so proud of you." Sabine touched his cheek and kissed her daughter's forehead. "Now go get some rest. You don't have to go to school tomorrow if you don't want to, but I think it would do you two some good to get out of the house."

"I think we're going to. Thank you for coming tonight. It meant the world to see you guys there." Adrien smiled and leaned down to kiss Sabine's cheek.

"Always son, you're a Dupain-Cheng now. Especially after naming your company DCA." Tom patted his shoulder.

"Thank you. Goodnight." Adrien got Marinette upstairs and gently tossed her up onto her bed. He took off his clothes before climbing up onto the bed. Marinette cracked her eyes open.

*************************************

"We're home? Already?"

"Someone had the luxury of sleeping on the way home." Adrien chuckled as he untied her boots and slid them off her legs. Next he pulled her forward and unzipped her jacket before sliding it off her shoulders and onto the floor as well. He moved slower as he touched the bottom of her shirt and pulled it up. Her eyes glued on his face the entire time. He let the light fabric flutter to the floor and stared at her.

"Adrien," she whispered as she leaned in.

"Marinette?"

"Kiss me," the words weren't a request, they were a demand. He leaned in and at first he was gentle with the soft kisses against her lips. But when her nails dragged down her back and caused him to arch forward into her and open his mouth, he knew he was a goner. He reached behind her back and deftly unhooked her bra before she threw it over the edge. She pulled him flat against her and rolled so that he was flat on his back and left staring up at her.

She pushed her hair out of her face and leaned down. He expected her to kiss him again, but instead she pressed her lips against the base of his throat and sucked. He knew she was going to be the death of him as he gasped and dug his fingers into the side of her hips. "Mari," He groaned as she kissed lower and down his chest. He threaded his fingers into her hair and pulled him back up to him and into another heated kiss. He swirled his tongue against her lips and she complied in a matter of seconds. He tugged slightly on her hair and she gasped.

Adrien nudged her head to the side and kissed down the side of her neck before running his tongue along her pulse, making her jump. She tilted her head further to the side as he nipped her skin. She grabbed his shoulders and dug her fingers into him. He bit slightly harder near where her neck met her shoulder before sucking harshly, causing a dark wet mark to form on her milky skin. He rolled them once more so that she was flat on her back and traced his hands along her exposed skin. She leaned into his touch, but shied away when he reached her stomach. Now that he knew she was Ladybug, how toned and fit she was made sense. He wondered if she hid it so that no one would figure out her identity, but he knew that he loved every inch of her, no matter what she tried to hide.

He left small bite marks along her collar bone before littering them along her hipbones as well. She panted and grasped at his hair as he went. She whispered his name and begged him for something that she never got out into words. "Yes dear?" The smirk that played on his lips was too much, she dropped her head back against the bed.

"Please Adrien,"

"I heard you before, but what do you want from me, my love?" He whispered, his lips brushing against hers as he spoke. She leaned up and captured his lips with her, leaving him breathless when she pulled back.

"Everything that you'll give me."

Adrien wanted to do exactly that. He ran his fingers down her sides and hooked his thumbs in the waistband of the leggings that she still wore. He glanced back up at her and she touched his cheek and nodded, giving him all the confirmation that he needed. He gently pulled them off her hips and down her legs before discarding them off the bed. "This isn't too soon for you?"

"No, trust me, I want this." There was something in her voice that he hadn't heard before. She sounded needy. It wasn't something he ever thought he'd hear out of Marinette, but now that he had, he wanted to hear it over and over again.

"Me too." He kissed her thigh and ran his hand up her legs before leaning back up to kiss her. She bit his lip as he pressed his hand between her legs. He could hear the whimper in her throat and thought it sounded better than any piano that he had ever heard.

Marinette had always known that she wanted to be like this with Adrien one day, but to actually be here and now, she wanted nothing more than to touch him. She dragged her fingers through his hair and ran hands along his chest as he touched her. He was gentle and once he seemed to gain more confidence, he pushed her pink panties aside and ran a finger along her slit, causing her to moan and pressed her forehead against his shoulder. She let pressed her lips against his collar bone and tried to focus on leaving a mark there, but she was distracted by what he was doing to her.

"Adrien, can I?" She asked breathlessly as she played with the waistband of his boxers. He nodded as he dipped one of his fingers inside of her. She bit her lip in order to keep the high pitched whine to herself, but Adrien's hearing was just as sensitive as Chat's right now. He could hear every moan and word that fell from her lips. Even the ones that she tried to hide. He curved his finger at the same time that she dipped her hand into his boxers and brushed against him. He had to stop his motion in order to take a calming breath. They hadn't gotten this far before and he wasn't sure he remembered how to breathe, let alone function.

Marinette however used his moment to collect himself as a moment to make him fall apart above him. She ran her fingers along his shaft gingerly before taking a hold of him and stroking up. He gasped and bit her neck in response. She jumped slightly at his response, but kept going as he pumped his finger into her again. He added a second one which caused her to tighten her grip on him and both of them were left a panting mess.

"Do you want to?" Marinette tried to ask.

"Only if you want to." Adrien said as he drew his fingers away.

Marinette grabbed the waistband of her panties and nodded. "I want to. I love you, Adrien."

"I love you too." They threw off the rest of their clothing and Marinette handed him a foil that had been sitting on her shelf since the last time that Alya had come over and left it there, saying something along the lines of they would thank her later. He ripped open the package and rolled on the condom with an unsteady hand.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive," she whispered as he laid between her legs.

He grabbed her waist and pressed himself against her. They took it slow. But once he was inside her, it was like they were a perfect match. Like they were made for each other. They couldn't get enough of each other as they reached out and caressed the others skin. Adrien grabbed her thighs and moved their bodies to a new angle, causing her to cry out softly, still trying to make sure they didn't wake her parents.

They created a steady rhythm as their hips met, both of them soon glistening with sweat. Adrien held her tight, and her grip on his back wasn't letting up. "I, oh, Adrien," Marinette whimpered.

"It's okay," he whispered as she clamped down on him. Her body shook and he couldn't hold back. They both found their released and collapse back on the pillows. He leaned in with his eyes closed and kissed her forehead. "I love you."

"I love you too." After their hearts stopped racing, Adrien pulled away and went into the bathroom to clean up. When he came back to bed, he brought a warm damp washcloth and a glass of water.

"You're perfect." Marinette whispered as she took the glass. Taking the initiative, Adrien went ahead and helped her clean up.

"I think I'm unperfect, but thank you dear."

"You stole my line. I'm the unperfect one."

"Then maybe we can be unperfectly us." He said as he settled beside her and set their alarm clock. He pulled her back against their chest. It couldn't have been 5 minutes before he fell asleep. And he dreamed of running along rooftops with Marinette, running and laughing and being in love. Just like they already were.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I officially did it. I pumped out a second chapter tonight. Enjoy because I'm looking at a 6 day work week filled with more obligations than I would prefer. But keep sending me your wonderful comments and I may just survive it. Thank you guys for reading! Love, Emily  
> 


	27. I Swear I Had No Clue, Yeah Okay Idiot

The sun wasn't even shinning with the alarm that Adrien had set. Marinette was not even bothered by it, she was in too deep of a slumber to hear it go off. Adrien groaned, "Plagg, snooze it snooze it."

Plagg wasn't the one to flit over to the phone and turn it off though, Tikki was. "Come on Adrien, you two are supposed to be up early enough to make it to school on time today. Come." Tikki kissed his forehead, causing his eyes to reopen. 

"School is for losers."

"Get up, loser." Tikki said unaffected as she moved over to Marinette. She poked and prodded at the sleeping girl to no avail.

"Huh, looks like she's out."

"Huh, she's out," Marinette groaned, covering her eyes.

"She likes to echo some times when she's that asleep." Tikki giggled as she disappeared into the pillows so that Marinette wouldn't see the pair interacting. Adrien liked Tikki. He appreciated seeing her in the morning before Marinette woke up. He couldn't wait for the day that Marinette could meet Plagg and they could be open about their identities.

"Likes echo, asleep." Marinette repeated partially. Adrien wondered if that's how she got through classes on the days when there had been akumas keeping them up all night.

Adrien was going to have to file that information away for later. He leaned down and kissed her though, which caused her eyes to flutter open. "Chat?"

"Nah, just me dear." Adrien smirked as she rubbed her eyes.

"Sorry Adrien, you two have the same bed head." She admitted as she sat up and stretched.

Adrien leaned in close to her face, "How do you know what his bed head looks like, my love?"

"Because he used to sleep in my bed with me before you started sleeping here. Trust me, I'm surprised that you both don't purr in your sleep with how alike that bed hair is." Adrien jumped down and caught Marinette as she tumbled over the edge into his arms.

"Do you miss that?"

"The purring would grow old eventually, but I do miss seeing him as often as I did before." Marinette frowned as she clambered to her feet.

Adrien laughed shortly. "You know, I can spend the night at Nino's that way you could see him for a night?" What he really meant was he wouldn't mind transforming to cuddle her for a night as Chat Noir. He really wouldn't mind since either way he could cuddle her.

"Only if you want to. He still manages to come over. I'm sure if I had stayed awake any longer last night, I would have seen him stop by." Marinette shrugged.

Adrien smiled after her as she walked into the bathroom and started to brush her teeth. He followed suit and couldn't help but love how domestic the two of them were when they were together in the mornings. They would get ready together, start off the day holding each other, it made his heart leap for joy.

Marinette spit her toothpaste out and rinsed her mouth before walking into her closet. "After school, remind me to clear space for you in here. I will just throw some of my out of season clothes into bins." Marinette called to him as he finished brushing his own teeth.

He gave her a thumbs up and began trying to fix his Chat hair. Right now, he was wishing Tikki could come and fix it for him like he had heard she would do for Marinette. Surprisingly, her hair had held the curls and was just as cute this morning as it had been the night before. Marinette walked out and was dressed in the clothes she had modeled the night before. "Do you think I could get away with no makeup today? I know I have time to do it, but I don't want to."

"Probably, but it's up to you." Adrien yanked on the clothes and felt like her was back in his suit. The clothes were tight on his skin. He had noticed that after the last couple of weeks he had bulked up again. He wondered if he should start going to the gym since Hawk Moth was locked up.

"Adrien," Marinette pulled his attention away from lacing his boots when she spoke softly. "You didn't open the letter yesterday." She held the yellow envelope that Sabine had tucked into her backpack the day before. She came over and sat beside him on the chaise and handed him the thick paper.

He held it between his hands before flipping it over and gently ripping it open. Inside was several items. His birth certificate, passport, several different credit and debit cards that each had a sticky note on them denoting what they were good for, Marinette's things that she would need for starting at DCA Fashions and several different cards that were labeled with her name, and lastly was a letter. He unfolded it and read it carefully.

_Adrien,_

_By now, you know the truth. I have always know the truth, about both of you. I'm sorry about how things ended. I hope that one day you are able to speak to him and understand why he did what he did. I'm sure when it goes to court, that the truth will come out, but until then have faith that I kept you out of harm's reach that way he couldn't know the truth. You are like a son to me, and I hope you don't fault me for leaving. The truth is, your father may have loved me at one point, but that's not the reason that he married me. He saw the marriage as a tool for his final goal. I found out when he locked me in that room with Emilie. I had a feeling before the wedding, which is why I bestowed the peacock miraculous upon her again. If you wish for her to wake, you only have to give it to her again, but beware of the fact that this sleep has driven her towards her anger and she may react poorly once again._

_Adrien, my son who is not my son, I promise you that it will all work out. Treat Marinette well, you're perfect for each other. I'm always a letter away. Drop one on my desk at the office and I will get it eventually, but for now I'm laying low until things work their ways out._

_I do love you,_

_Nathalie Sancoeur-Agreste_

 

The tears dripped down his face as he folded the letter. "Adrien?"

"I'm okay. I'm just going to miss her." He whispered as he tucked the note into his pocket. He grabbed the items that Nathalie had marked as Marinette's and handed them to her. "Here, she said these were for you and left you notes so that you know what's supposed to be used for what."

"Um, this one says for fun?" Marinette frowned as she held up the credit card that had a sticky note on it stating that it was for fun and had no max limit on it. She was very aware of the fact that her full name was on the card with another hyphen thrown on the end so that Agreste had been added.

"Well, she also said they're all being paid for by work."

"Work?"

"Mari, you're employed now as the lead designer for DCA Fashions. An international fashion company? You do remember that from last night, right?"

"HOLY SHIT I AM! OH MY GOD!" She jumped up and started bouncing on her feet. "Adrien! I did it! I made my dreams come true!" She flung herself into his arms and her happiness was infectious. He soon couldn't wipe the smile off his face as she continued laughing, tears trickling from her eyes and down his shoulder.

"Of course you did, if anyone could, it would be you." Adrien held her tight to him, one hand on the back of her head and one wrapped around her waist.

"Thank you so much, you're the reason I've been able to do this. Oh my god, I love you so much!" And while she was happy he had helped her make her dreams come true, she loved him because of who he was.

"I love you too, darling." Adrien couldn't help but laugh as her hair tickled his face.

"Come on, we gotta finish getting ready so that we're actually on time. We don't have the luxury of blaming Hawk Moth for skipping class anymore." Adrien watched her roll her eyes and cross her arms.

"When did we ever have that excuse? I thought you were always just fashionably late." She teased, wondering how he was able to say that so freely right now. Had he begun to dissociate Hawk Moth and his father so that he could move away from it until he could come to terms with it or had he truly moved on from it and accepted it already?

"If I was fashionably late, then what were you?"

"I like my sleep."

"Yeah, alright." Adrien winked at her and she felt very aware of the fact that she was in Ladybug's colors. She felt naked in them in front of him. It was like he could see straight through Marinette and into her heart where she was truly Ladybug.

Marinette swallowed her thoughts, "Come on, you were the one saying we were going to be late." Marinette shoved the items into her backpack so that she could deal with them later. She threw it over her shoulder and snatched a water bottle and croissant off the counter. Adrien followed her lead and was surprised by the empty kitchen. All last week, there had been either Tom or Sabine there in the morning.

They ran out of the apartment and through the bakery, waving at the adults as they shoved their faces. They met Nino and Alya on the sidewalk, who were walking hand in hand and sporting unusual colors.

Alya was wearing an orange long sleeve shirt and Nino was wearing a bright green t-shirt. They were sporting their hero colors. "Hey guys! Look, we're almost team Miraculous!" Alya smirked at Adrien and he felt his entire face drain of color, but he wasn't as pale as Marinette was. 

"Ahaha, yeah, almost, too bad we don't have a Queen Bee." But as if Chloe had heard her name fall from her lips, she showed up in front of them.

"Hey Chlo." Adrien greeted her with a casual smile.

Chloe waved slightly at him, but her sights were set on Marinette and once more, Marinette felt naked under someone's gaze today. "Marinette?"

"Yes Chloe?" Marinette dug her finger tips into Adrien's hand and he almost winced at the strength she was using. Any other person and she may have broke their hand.

"I heard you were doing the other members of Team Miraculous for that new line that you and Adrien started, and since I have an in, I was wondering if you wanted some help with getting the details right? Not that you wouldn't do great without help. but I, well, damn it." Chloe stomped her foot.

"Are you okay?" Adrien reached out and touched Chloe's shoulder.

She shied away from his touch. "Yes, no, I, ugh!" She pouted. "I don't hate you Marinette Dupain-Cheng!"

"I don't hate you either Chloe?" Marinette was starting to worry, the blonde in front of her was turning red in the face and looked like she was feeling faint.

Chloe bit her lip, grabbed the purse at her hip and sighed. "I'm actually really jealous of you, Adrien."

And for Nino and Alya the pieces fell together. Adrien looked the most confused, but Marinette looked like she was starting to figure things out by now. Chloe's words beginning to make sense with how she was acting. "Why?"

"Because you started dating her before I had the guts to come to terms with how I felt, but I'm glad you're treating each other well. But if you want that in with team Miraculous, you've got it." Chloe winked, stepped in and placed a soft kiss on Marinette's cheek, and walked off. Chloe's red lipstick that she was sporting today stayed on Marinette's cheek as she felt her viewpoint spin out of focus.

Chloe Bourgeois didn't hate her, and hadn't ever actually hated her, she had been so terrible to her because she was coming to terms with her sexuality and how she had truly felt when it came to the bluenette. "Fuck, didn't see that one coming," Nino finally said, breaking the spell over the group.

"Called it. I called it 3 years ago. You owe me twenty euros, bitch!" Alya said smacking Marinette back into the real world.

Marinette perked up. "Oh shit, I've got to have her help with the designs later." She looked up at Adrien who was staring at her with wide eyes. "What?"

"Do you have an ability to make women gay for you?"

Marinette spluttered and the others laughed as the bell rang. "No, I don't, we'll deal with that later, love."

"Sorry, just an observation."

And for the rest of the day, things were normal. People were careful about their conversations, always being kind enough not to discuss the news when Adrien and Marinette were within earshot, but otherwise, it was like their lives were normal again. The next day had consisted of the same, except instead of staying in school all day, Ladybug and Chat Noir made an appearance to stop a bank robbery. Evidently the robbers thought that with Hawk Moth gone, that the heroes would retire. They had been proven to be very, very wrong.

"If you think for one moment that we will let things slide back into the way they were before we were around, you are so wrong. I dare any criminals to try that. You have Team Miraculous watching over Paris, we will protect it like it's our child." Chat Noir announced before dipping Ladybug into a kiss in front of the cameras. Marinette groaned the next day when Alya asked if Ladybug ever kissed Marinette like that. She didn't answer fast enough, so Alya assumed that she had.

And just like that, they were in a pattern. They would attend school and head to DCA in their free time, and made sure to visit Emilie every Sunday morning with fresh flowers. Marinette took a few days of coming up with ideas with Chloe, both of the women blushing as they configured fashionable designs for their other teammates. It was an almost normal life. Chat Noir would drop by and visit Marinette whenever Adrien ducked out for photo shoots. He'd tease her on patrols about who would be her valentine. Things were pretty good, but there were bad nights too. Nights where they would either wake up to screams or wake up screaming and sobbing. Neither ever pushed the other to talk about why, and Marinette's parents pretended that it didn't happen even though they would wake up too.

They had only one fight in that entire month, and it was stupid. Marinette had been getting ready to go for a run and Adrien had insisted that he would go with her. She had wanted to go alone and push herself. She wanted to make sure she stayed in shape since her Ladybug duties were becoming less and less necessary. He had told her that he could keep up and she had told him she wanted alone time, which led to him thinking she didn't want him living there anymore. They had both ended up reluctantly running together, both holding back to keep the other from finding out the truth. But once they had become more comfortable, they began pushing themselves further and running faster. They had started a workout routine, always pushing the other to go harder.

It wasn't until 3 days before Valentine's day that their happy lives went sideways. Marinette was sitting at her desk at DCA when her desk phone lit up with Adrien's company picture. She hit ignore the first time, she was deep into the work on an evening ballgown that they would be donating to the charity fashion auction that was coming up next week and hadn't wanted to be interrupted. When he called her back immediately, her blood froze. He never did that, he always let her work in peace. She snatched up the phone. "Adrien?"

"Can you come here?"

His voice was taunt with stress and she could feel it all the way from where she sat. She hadn't realized it fully, but they were able to read each other even when they were apart. She could feel the tightness in his jaw as he spoke, the way he was clenching his fists, and the way he was glancing between her photo on his phone and whatever was making him feel this way. She didn't even bother hanging up the phone or saying anything. She blasted through her door and up the stairs. She ran up three flights and threw herself through the doors to Adrien's office. Her bag was hanging open in case she needed to do a quick transformation. 

Adrien's was staring at her, as was the blonde, familiar male stranger in the room. She slowly lowered her fists and smoothed out her pink dress over her leggings. "I didn't realize you were in a meeting, Adrien." Marinette's words seemed to offend the stranger, who narrowed his eyes as he gave her the once over. Her hair was tied back in her regular pigtails, even against Kate's advice. Everyone said now that she had an adult job, she should dress like it, but she had decided having pigtails would never change. Her hair was too short still to pull her hair back in any different way.

"Marinette, this is Felix." She stretched her hand out to him, the one that was covered in ink from her sketching. He regarded her carefully before shaking her hand, transferring some of the ink.

"Wonderful to meet Adrien's partner." His words were as stiff as his movements. They fell awkward between them. The only person she thought of as a partner was Chat Noir, and that was because they were partners in justice.

"Nice to meet you as well, Felix. How do you know Adrien?"

The man scoffed and glared at Adrien. Marinette closed the clasp of her purse and straightened her back. She knew there wasn't a fight here and now, but there could be. She sensed it in the air. "You seriously didn't even tell your girlfriend about me?"

"Honestly Felix, no one knows about you. I barely even remember you. You haven't been in my life in how many years?"

"I do suppose that's another thing you can blame Father for. Never mind the fact that you cannot be bothered to even remember your own brother."

"Brother?" Marinette glanced between the men in shock.

Felix chuckled while Adrien slammed his head against his desk. "Yes, half-brother. While Adrien got to live the perfect model life, I was shipped away to boarding school. Once I finished school, Father sent me to the New York to run the American portion of things. Since the hearing is tomorrow, I decided to come back to town. Adrien would know I've been home since this whole thing went down if he ever came home. Pity he only showed up there twice." His words were like ice falling from his mouth. Marinette unknowingly stepped between the men, trying to defend Adrien with her body.

"Well it's nice to meet you Felix. I hope you'll come over for dinner some time soon."

"Perhaps I shall, Marinette Dupain-Cheng." The way he pronounced each part of her names left her on edge as his cold eyes studied her form. She was still tense, ready to spring.

"Adrien and I were just discussing what father left us when he decided to introduce us."

"You talk about him as if he's dead." Adrien muttered, drawing their attention back to him. He was standing behind the desk, hands placed firmly on the desk.

"He may as well be. You're the one that changed the name and face of the company and threw him to the media while siding with Paris, is he not dead to you?" The look Felix fixed Adrien with made Marinette mad. She was bristling with anger.

"Adrien is better than that," She might have slapped him with how he turned and glared at her. It was obvious Felix wasn't found of Marinette and her defending Adrien.

And then Felix smiled. "Yes, he is. Which is why he got the company and father gave me his true legacy."

"Being an arrogant asshole?" Adrien offered.

Marinette stepped back when Felix yanked the tie off his neck, revealing a purple brooch at the base of his throat. "Wings rise," and suddenly he was cloaked in a purple fitted suit and held a cane across his back. "No Adrien, he left me a duty. Unsurprisingly enough, it still helps you."

Marinette's mind was turning every which way. She was calculating her plan. "Hawk Moth."

"Think more of Le Papillon, but basically. Don't worry, my plan isn't to bring any harm to Paris. I just have to finish his last request before I can rid that man of my life forever. And his final request was to get the Chat Noir and Ladybug miraculouses in order to bring Emilie Agreste back to life." Felix smirked at them and Marinette unclasped her purse.

"Give your miraculous to Ladybug or Chat Noir. You don't have to follow your father's footsteps. Set things right."

"I don't think you understand, Marinette, but I just have to do this. It the only way for me to get rid of him. You see, the man studied spells. In his moments before he fell, he cursed me to be bound to this miraculous. Only he can break this curse, but I have to cure Emilie and free him first. Like I said though, I have no plans to harm Paris, it does nothing for me. I can't say the same about their beloved heroes though if they don't help me." Felix turned on his heal and the transformation released. He snatched Nooroo and shoved him into his suit jacket. "See you two lovebirds in court. Goodbye little brother."

He was out the door and Marinette was giving chase to him. "Marinette, wait!" Adrien called out fruitlessly.  "Plagg, claws out." 

Chat Noir pushed open his window and dove out, his staff in front of him and ready for a tough landing since he had just jumped out a 20th story window. He spotted Marinette chasing Felix down the stairwell and her purse flew open to reveal Tikki flying up and into her earrings. She continued her stride as a flash of pink exploded and left Ladybug to be two stories above Felix.

Ladybug wasn't about to lose this miraculous a second time. She fled out of the emergency door he had ran through and found herself in an empty alley. She spun around, looking, searching, damning herself for losing him. Chat Noir ran straight into her and they both collided into the ground.

"Chaton?"

"Milady, I was lounging on a roof in the sun and was surprised to see a flash of light. When I followed it, I saw a new butterfly miraculous user in an office with you and Adrien, is everything alright?"

"I lost him Chat, no, nothing is okay! That miraculous user is Adrien's brother. And he's following Hawk Moth's footsteps!" Ladybug stomped her foot and punched the metal door, leaving a large dent in it.

Chat grabbed her by the shoulders, "Woah, hang on, what did he say Bugaboo?"

"That he was going to find us, take our miraculouses, and cure Emilie Agreste since he's now cursed to be attached to his miraculous."

"Then why don't we coax him out and try to convince him to be on our side?"

"I don't think he wants to be on our side. And I think he knows who I am Chat. He mentioned partners and kept giving me the cold shoulder, especially when I said he should hand over the miraculous. If Adrien wasn't there, I would've transformed then and there and taken care of it. Fuck!" Her last word was a cry of frustration.

Chat yanked her into a hug. "It'll be alright, milady. We know that he's Adrien's brother, so what are the odds that we will catch him at the courthouse tomorrow?"

"He said he'd be there, but Chat, I have to be there as Marinette so that I can support Adrien." The hurt in her eyes was painful for Chat to see. He wanted to say I'm right here, it's okay, but he couldn't. He knew she wasn't ready. That the time wasn't right.

"Don't worry, I won't be too far from the scene. The second I catch him alone, I'll try to take the miraculous. But you should probably get back to Adrien now since you took off after the new baddie like a bat out of hell when you were just Marinette." Chat winked and Marinette smacked her forehead. 

"Oh he's going to be pissed." She went onto her tip toes and planted a kiss on Chat Noir's lips. "Bye, love you!" She called as she ran back into through the damaged door.

"Love you too," Chat said as he detransformed and ran to the front of the building. He ran in the doors and found his girlfriend in the front lobby.

Adrien ran straight up to her and picked her up off her feet. "Don't do that to me again. I was so worried about you. Felix is a good guy, but I don't want you to get hurt because he's in a bad place right now." He whispered into her hair.

"I was fine, Adrien. I just wanted to get a picture of him to give to Alya so that she could get it to Ladybug and warn her." She said wrapping her arms around his waist.

"You scared me. Did you get the picture?"

"No. He was fast."

Le Papillon was standing on the roof across the street, shaking his head as he watched the couple greet one another, grasping at each other. "Predictable. I should've known that Marinette was Ladybug based on that passion she has. Adrien being Chat Noir is a slight surprise, but I guess it makes sense. Of course they would gravitate towards each other.

"Felix, what are we doing up here?" The girl beside him whispered.

"My love, we're here to finish things so that our lives can get back to normal."

"You wouldn't hurt your own brother, would you?"

"Never. I'm sure he'll see the point. It's going to be Marinette who needs convincing though. She doesn't care for me and won't trust me at all."

"Don't worry, I'll help you. That way we can be done with this Felix. I miss New York."

"I miss it as well. We can leave and go back as soon as we're done here."

The girl hopped down from the edge. "Come on, let's get back so that we can have one more night together before I go tomorrow."

"For you, anything."

_The end, for now._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, yes, this is the end of book one. Book two is being started this weekend when I get some time off, but for now, this is the end. It had been a roller coaster ride with all of you and I appreciate all of the love you have given me! Over 100,000 words and so many countless hours thinking about where I wanted this story to end. And to think this all came from a dream I had about a part of the next book ;) ANYWAYS, hate me, love me, understand me, or don't. I know there's a lot going on in this last chapter: disaster gay!Chloe, Felix Agreste showing up to be the prodigal son of Hawk Moth, Nathalie in the wind, a court date hanging over their heads, Marinette and Adrien not having a full reveal yet, them not graduating yet even though I've built up to it so much, Valentine's day?? Yeah, all that and more in the next one. Leave me some love :) Thanks for reading! Love, Emily


	28. NOT A CHAPTER

Hello my beautiful readers,

So, next part is out with the first chapter, and I'm so excited for that, but I may be writing less soon. Why? Easy answer, my life sucks.

I'm work 50-60 hours a week because the other girl quit, my now ex-boyfriend just dumped me tonight, and I feel hopelessly lost right now with where I'm at in my life. So, like I said, easy answer is my life sucks.

I promise to still get a chapter out once a week, but I'm sorry in advance if it isn't as lovey dovey as before, but that's because I'm not feeling as lovey dovey.

Anyways, I love you guys, and I appreciate every single kudo, comment, bookmark, and read that you guys give. It makes my life a little brighter.

Thanks again for everything,

Emily


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